We tested all the top rated 4k TVs available for sale in 2018 and 2019. Below you will find a list of the models we think are the absolute best among these, as well as detailed Reviews of most of them and where they’re available at the most affordable possible prices!

NOTE:

We should also strongly note here that the following TV rankings are made with both quality and price taken into consideration. Essentially, we’ve at least partly ranked these models in terms of their quality and value per dollar spent so that we could demonstrate what the best TVs are for the lowest possible prices in their category. The rankings below are of course also split into one for 4K TVs of all types and a second list of exclusively budget 4K UHD models that cost less than $1000, followed by our last ranking which is for all the best 4K TVs we know of for less than $500. However, once again, the very top list of best 4K HDR TVs of 2018 and 2019 right below has been ranked so that TVs with the absolute best possible quality at the lowest possible price rank higher than just the best TVs in terms of sheer specs. Often both are reflected in the same TV but not always.

Latest Update: December 31, 2018

The 9 Absolute Best 4K TVs of 2018 / 2019 as Reviewed by 4K.com

The following are the 10 best 4K TVs that 4K.com has reviewed or thoroughly covered to-date. The following models are mostly 2018 4K HDR TVs that we have reviewed so far or are certain of their rankings and a very few 2017 models which we still think are stunning enough to compete with newer editions and deliver a superb level of performance relative to their price or in absolute terms. In other words, this list will be updated as regularly as new television models get reviewed or thoroughly vetted by us. Furthermore, you should check back regularly to see how we’ve updated our rankings of models based on new releases and reviews. Also, bear in mind that we’ve selected the following models based on how much value each offers when both pricing and overall display performance specs are balanced against each other.

The following are more premium 4K TVs for the most part (the budget listings can be found further down this page) but their rankings definitely take quality per dollar spent into consideration. For this reason, a few notably superb and famous flagship models from major brands like LG, Sony and Samsung are excluded below because we believe that much more affordable “lower-ranking” models offer performance that’s almost as good or equal to that of the flagships but for much better prices. All of the following 4K TVs deliver a native refresh rate of 120Hz and they all offer full support for judder-free playback of 24p movie content from all sources unless otherwise stated in their specific descriptions. Furthermore, the majority of the following top-ranked 4K UHD TVs come with other premium technologies such as full.array LED backlighting, full-array-based local dimming and complete HDR support in terms of both color performance AND black levels/peak brightness

LG C8 OLED 4K Ultra HD HDR TV (2018 Model)

In 2017 our top ranked 4K TV for the year was LG’s C7 OLED, and now its successor the 2018 C8 model is in the same spot. This is for good reason. OLED 4K HDR TVs are almost universally regarded as some of the best performing televisions in existence today and the C8 offers the most ideal combination of all this performance and a price that’s not absurdly steep. This model is LG’s second most affordable 2018 OLED TV (The B8 is still cheaper but lacks the C8’s more advanced processing engine) but this low price in no way diminishes its capabilities compared to pricier OLEDs from the same brand or Sony. Why? Well here’s a funny “secret” about OLED TVs that we’ve noticed for every year in which we’ve reviewed them: Almost across the board, all models for any given year perform virtually identically on display and motion handling specs. Thus, whether you spend several thousand dollars on LG’s W8, their most expensive 2018 OLED, or just 1700 – 2700 on a model like the C8, you’ll get nearly identical display quality.

The C8 basically has it all, ultra-premium picture quality, incredible motion handling, fantastic gaming performance and a price that makes it much more accessible than its even more premium OLED cousins.

Sony Z9F Master Series 4K Ultra HD HDR LCD TV (2018/2019 Model)

We first got to see and review Sony’s Z9F Master Series HDR television in July of this year at a pre-release unveiling and it was absolutely impressive in nearly every way we could observe. This 4K HDR TV, which is the successor to Sony’s nearly legendary Z9D 2016 ultra-premium flagship TV takes almost everything the Z9D offered and ups it slightly for an even more deeply impressive level of performance. The Z9F is one of Sony’s two 2018/2019 “Master Series” HDR TVs and as such comes with a host of exceptionally new technologies that previous Sony TVs never came with. The bottom line for this television however is that it simply stuns with its quality. Black levels are some of the best we’ve ever seen in an LCD TV, color performance in the Z9F is mind-blowing and this television’s motion handling is simply fantastic. It also handles the fine details of HDR contrast and scene detail to a beautifully good level of refinement. Yes, the Z9F is expensive but this also happens to be what is arguably the best LCD 4K UHD TV Sony has ever created.

Samsung Q9FN QLED 4K Ultra HD HDR TV (2018 Model)

Samsung’s Q9FN 2018 Edition is the company’s absolute flagship 4K HDR TV for 2018/ early 2019 and while it’s very expensive, damn is it also incredible. The Q9FN is easily one of the three best 4K TVs we’ve ever seen (the other two are the models above) and in some ways, such as in how well it delivers color and high dynamic range color in particular, it’s probably the best 4K UHD TV we’ve ever reviewed. Samsung has really refined QLED technology to new levels and it shows off at its absolute peak (so far) in this flagship QLED TV. What the Q9F 2018 model also offers is out-of-this-world LCD TV picture brightness, the highest non-OLED contrast ratios we’ve ever seen in any 4K UHD TV so far and fantastically great motion handling. It’s also a physically beautiful 4KUHD TV that will impress with its physical presence in any living room, especially if you go for one of the larger 75 inch models. We can’t recommend this 4K TV enough as far as quality goes. We only give it a lower ranking here because it’s very expensive and because it lacks Dolby Vision HDR support. This however is practically its only real performance defect.

Sony XBR-X900F 4K Ultra HD HDR LCD TV (2018 Model)

Sony’s X900F is one of the outstanding 4K TVs of 2018 for at least a couple of major reasons. First and most importantly, it’s just a great UHD TV, with some all-around excellent specs and performance capability even by ultra-premium TV standards. Secondly though, this model is awesome because it manages to be the above while having a remarkably reasonable price. It’s in fact so decently priced that we’ve ranked it twice on this page, first here as one of the best 4K TVs of 2018 period and further down (in its smaller 49 inch edition) as one of the best 4K HDR TVs for less than $1000. Thus, we’ve got more than a few reasons to really like the X900F.

Just how good is this model? Well it delivers everything a 4K TV buyer could want even if they’re looking for a premium entertainment technology experience. The X900F offers up full array LED backlighting, high quality local dimming technology, superbly vibrant color rendering and full HDR support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10. It’s also an excellent, smooth handler of fast-paced motion on the screen. As a bonus this model is also well-built, with a simple but sturdy and elegant design. Finally. It’s just extremely affordable for its quality and one of the best 4K HDR TV deals of 2018 as a result.

Samsung Q6FN QLED 4K Ultra HD HDR TV (2018 Model)

Samsung’s QLED Q6FN is the most inexpensive of the 2018 QLED models put out by Samsung and despite it not delivering anywhere near the display power of the flagship Q9F we covered above, the Q6FN still performs incredibly well even by ultra-premium TV display technology standards. Best of all though, it’s a lot cheaper than any of the other QLEDs, with the 49 inch model even being one of the TVs listed in our Best TVs For Less Than $1000 listings below this. However, even by ultra-premium 4K UHD TV standards, the Q6FN is a great choice, and whether you’re buying one of its larger versions, like the 55 and 65 inch editions, or the economical 49 inch model, the Q6F 2018 QLED easily ranks among this year’s best 4K UHD HDR TVs.

Just what does it offer though? Well, the Q6FN delivers you some really impressive color vibrancy, with a picture realism that has to be seen to be appreciated. It’s black levels, contrast ratio and display brightness are all also incredibly good for any type of content, be it HDR-formatted video from any source or just ordinary broadcast TV movies and programming. Furthermore, given its reasonable price and smaller possible screen sizes, this particular TV can handle console gaming like an absolute champion, with excellent, low input lag and support for a whole range of frame rates, color settings, HDR and resolution formats. We love the Q6FN and think it’s a close competitor to the Sony X900F or LG’s C8 in terms of both quality and price combined. Samsung’s Q9F is a much better TV, yes, but if you take price into consideration, the Q6FN delivers plenty enough to almost be a better choice.

LG B8 OLED 4K Ultra HD HDR TV (2018 Model)

LG’s B8 OLED 4K HDR TV isn’t quite as good as the C8 OLED we ranked further up this list but it underperforms the C8 (and LG’s other 2018 OLED TVs) only due to its slightly slower, weaker picture processing engine and inferior audio connectivity support. In terms of display performance, OLED screen quality, contrast, black levels and color rendering, the B8 delivers just as well as the C8 or even LG’s best 2018 OLED HDR TV. We noted this very clearly in our review of this TV model and we absolutely stand by this judgment of this model. This is also part of why the B8 is so damn excellent, because it also happens to be the cheapest of all OLED 4K HDR TVs you can get among this year’s models. In other words, this model delivers all the display performance of the best 2018 OLEDs while costing hundreds to several thousand dollars less than any of them. For this combination of reasons, yep, the B8 is without a doubt one of 2018’s best 4K TVs.

Sony A9F Master Series OLED 4K Ultra HD HDR TV (2018/2019 Model)

Sony’s A9F Master Series OLED 4K HDR TV promised a great deal of high quality when unveiled by Sony in July of 2018 and in most ways it lives up to the hype around it. On the other hand, it also disappoints in two notable ways and they’re why we rank it so low on this list (though make no mistake about it, this is one fantastic premium 4K HDR television). First of all, the A9F is way more expensive than LG’s alternative OLED the C8, with the 55 inch model costing well over $1400 more than its C8 55 inch rival. It even costs more than the pricier LG E8 edition OLED TV, with the 55 inch version of the A9F being several hundred dollars pricier than the 55 inch E8. Despite this huge price disparity, the A9F delivers only very, very mildly better performance than either of these alternative OLED editions. In fact, it even slightly underperforms them on the crucial spec of display brightness, with a generally lower level of screen brightness almost across the board. In other words, while we can’t not recommend the A9F due to its incredibly good OLED display quality and its excellent picture processing and calibration engine (better than that of the LD TVs), we rank it last here simply because it costs so much for what it offers, and alternative options are more than better choices given the nearly identical performance they themselves offer at much, much lower prices.

Of all the 4K HDR TV ratings we did for the 2017 lineup of 4K TVs and OLED 4K HDR TVs in particular, the C7 offered the single best combination of superb performance and excellent value in terms of price of all the new models. Many of these qualities compare so favorably to the 4K TVs of 2018 that we still rank this model as an extremely worthwhile purchase despite its being a 2017 edition. Quite simply, the LG C7 OLED is nearly as good as most 2018 4K TVs and it’s not far off in overall quality from its 2018 OLED C8 successor. Why does the C7 rank so well? For one thing, it still offers the exact same perfection of total OLED black levels and infinite contrast that are the hallmark of all OLED TVs we’ve ever reviewed. This combines with a level of peak display brightness that’s only moderately lower than that of LG’s 2018 OLED TVs and an HDR color delivery for both wide color gamut and 10-bit color that’s equally similar to what you’ll get in the 2018 OLED models or pretty much any other ultra-premium 2018 4K HDR TV (except maybe for Samsung’s 2018 QLED TVs, which deliver color better than any we’ve ever seen before in a 4K UHD TV.). Thus, despite its being an OLED TV from 2018, this particular television edition is still a fantastic deal with some excellent specs. If you can find it at a good price (and it sells for a fair bit less than any of LG’s 2018 OLED editions), we highly recommend it unless you’re sure you don’t mind spending a bit extra on slightly newer technology. One flaw in the C7 is that it still comes with LG’s older A9 processor model, but this should make very little difference in terms of straightforward picture performance or content rendering.

Sony X940E 4K HDR Ultra HD TV (2017 Model)

Like the LG C7 OLED above that we still include in our latest ranking, the Sony X940E is still so good a 4K TV that it absolutely deserves a spot on our 2018/ early 2019 4K TV rankings. In fact, Sony never released a replacement for the 2017 X940E in 2018 and their closest substitute would be the X900F, which while also ranked on this list, isn’t quite the same 4K TV in terms of brightness and overall performance. In other words, the X940E continues to compete spectacularly against almost any 2018 Sony 4K TV counterpart and delivers display performance and other specs that make it one of the best ultra HD televisions you can get your hands on today. It’s also cheaper than it used to be, which is definitely a bonus point in its favor. Offering some absolutely stunning levels of peak display brightness, fantastically deep black levels, incredible contrast ratios and some of the best LCD TV local dimming technology we’ve ever seen in a 4K TV, the X940E is without a doubt still one exceptionally premium-grade 4K TV despite being from 2017. Furthermore it offers up incredibly good HDR color performance and motion handling specs that are as good as those of any UHD TV produced in 2018. Sony is known for building 4K TVs that compete well even for a couple years or more on their display specs, and the X940E is a superb example of this. We still highly recommend it.

The 5 Best 4K HDR TVs for Less Than $1000

After the mostly premium and ultra-premium 4K TV models above which generally sell for close to or over $1000, we now come down to what we consider to be the absolute best 4K UHD TVs at the largest possible display size for less than this price. All of these models offer some sort of HDR specs and at least a couple come with full premium HDR display of the best kind. Furthermore, all of these TVs promise an excellent home theater experience despite their possible lack of some features like QLED technology or full-array LED backlighting, full HDR color and higher levels of peak brightness (though some of them still have all of this technology even with their lower price tags). In other words, if you’re looking for the highest possible display performance on a highly reasonable a budget, you can’t go wrong with any of these televisions unless you’re looking for something really huge.

Sony XBR49X900F $998.00

By far the best rounded 4K HDR TV on this list in terms of performance, build, display support features and overall quality is the Sony X900F 4K HDR LCD model. It just fits into our list at a couple dollars under $1000 for the 49 inch version but what you get for that price is simply excellent. As you can see in the list of best 2018 TVs of all sizes and higher prices, we’ve also included the X900F there and for a good reason. It’s generally one of the best 4K HDR televisions of 2018 by any metric at all. That a 49 inch model is available for a more budget-friendly price of less than $1000 is great simply because you get all of the same quality with only a reduction in screen size. The 49 inch X900F comes with full-array LED backlighting, full high quality local dimming, fantastic contrast ratios and extremely high display brightness. The X900F also delivers excellent color vibrancy, with full HDR color support and really, really good rendering of color in ordinary content too.

Most importantly this model is essentially Sony’s second best 2018 LCD TV after the ultra-premium Master Series Z9F. And despite coming close to the $1000 mark, it thus still manages to sell for an amazingly low price considering all that it offers. Coming in with full-array LED backlighting, superb peak brightness, some fantastically good color support and excellent motion handling, the X900F also comes with a brilliantly efficient connectivity package for console or PC gaming. As an added bonus it offers up fantastic local dimming quality for its price. We love this TV and there are plenty of reasons why most other people should too. For less than $1000 you’ll be limited to the smaller 49 inch edition of the X900F but we still consider this to be a superb deal for a decent size.

Vizio P55-F1 $699.99

Vizio did it again in 2018 by releasing yet another highly affordable and extremely high quality 4K TV that’s nearly as well rounded as they get. The 55 inch P-Series 2018 edition delivers excellent picture quality, very good peak brightness and some excellent deep black levels that make it a wonderful 4K TV for display of HDR content in both Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats. Its contrast ratio is also very high and made even better by the inclusion of normally-premium full-array LED backlighting and local dimming technologies. Furthermore, the P-Series offers up some great motion handling, strong gaming connectivity specs and as a final bonus, it’s very nicely built, with an elegant looking design that’s easy on the eyes and very sturdy on any surface. The P-Series is also a very, very good 4K TV for gaming due to its excellent input lag specs.

On the other hand, the P-Series doesn’t deliver the best grey uniformity we’ve ever seen and because it also comes with VA display panel technology, like all such 4K TVs (even HDR models) it suffers from image quality deterioration when viewed at an angle. The P-Series also doesn’t offer what we’d call stellar audio performance but this can be fixed easily enough with an external sound bar.

TCL 6 Series 55R617: $629.99

TCL’s 2017 P-Series 4K HDR TV (not to be confused with Vizio’s identically named P-Series TVs for 2017 and 2018) was one of the best budget offerings of last year and in 2018 the company pulled off the same trick again but only better. The result was the 6-Series and it’s easily one of our favorite 4K HDR TVs of any kind for this year and definitely one of the absolute best you can get for this sort of ridiculously low price among the 2018 models. The 6-Series has even been offered on sale for lower prices of under $500 recently and might be going for such a discount whenever you read this (the link below will show you current pricing for all sizes). So what exactly does the 6-Series offer? Well it quite simply delivers a pile of essentially premium-quality display specs and performance at an unbeatable price: Offering up full-array LED backlighting, full HDR support for color, brightness, contrast and black levels, superbly high contrast ratios and some very good motion handling. In other words, this is one fantastic 4K HDR TV. Where the 6-Series also does so well is in its full display support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision high dynamic range formats. And unlike many budget 4K TVs that claim “HDR”, this model’s display genuinely delivers the capacity to fully render it.

On the other hand, the TCL 6-Series biggest defect is its build. This TV isn’t built quite as robustly as the Sony X900F above and its body is slightly on the flimsy side. That said, it’s certainly not going to fall apart and far from an ugly 4K TV. Furthermore, though it comes with full-array LED backlighting and local dimming, this combination of technologies doesn’t work quite as well as it does in either the Vizio P-Series or Sony X900F above, which is the main reason why we ranked this model lower than either.

Samsung QN49Q6F Flat 49” QLED 4K UHD TV: $797.99

Samsung’s QLED 4K HDR TVs are the company’s ultra-premium top-of-the-line ultra HD televisions, and the QLED Q6F 2018 model is one of them for now. This is why it delivers some fantastically powerful display performance almost regardless of what content its being used to display. Furthermore, if you use the Q6F to play back HDR video, the visual spectacle you’ll see is almost mind-blowing. The QLED technology in this TV is no mere gimmick and genuinely creates some truly fantastic color performance by 2018 4K HDR TV standards. In addition to this, the Q6FN offers up stunningly good black levels, contrast ratios and some truly phenomenal display brightness. Its other truly strong feature is this television’s excellent connectivity for gaming from consoles or PC rigs. The Q6FN handles game inputs from both superbly, with excellent, low input lag from console devices and full support for multiple color, HDR and frame-rate levels.

On the negative side of things, just like the X900F above, this model is only available in the 49 inch range for less than $1000. For some people this might be a problem but if you don’t mind the screen dimensions, the 49 inch Q6FN 2018 inch model is a great choice that also happens to be a fair bit cheaper than its Sony competitor even though its display specs are almost (but not quite) identically good. Another con of this TV is that it doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR, which is a shame considering how good it is at rendering wide color gamut.

Samsung UN55NU8000: $847.99

Samsung’s NU-Series 4K HDR TVs are the second-tier models in the TV maker’s 2018 lineup. However, among them, the NU8000, which is the priciest of this bunch, delivers a level of display performance that’s flat out fantastic even by top-shelf TV standards. This is one excellent non-QLED Samsung TV and its specs are powerful enough that it could have easily been considered a flagship LCD TV if made by another brand. What the NU8000 delivers is full and very high quality high dynamic range support, powerfully vibrant color rendering and really robust capability at rendering deep, rich black colors, strong shadows and high contrast in onscreen content. It also handles motion just as well as Samsung’s QLED 4K HDR TVs, so you’ll lose almost nothing on that front if you decide to economize a bit with this model. Where the NU8000 also really does well is in its handling of games from consoles. Samsung has rarely disappointed us on gaming connectivity for its 4K TVs and the NU8000 doesn’t do so either, with excellent input lag and complete support for full HDR+4K+multiple color formats during playback of even the most vibrantly rich HDR ultra HD Xbox or PS4 Pro games.

Like all Samsung 4K HDR TVs, the NU8000 does not support the Dolby Vision high dynamic range standard and while it does come with local dimming technology, the quality of it is only mediocre. Fortunately though, because it produces great black levels and contrast despite this, the weak local dimming is a minor issue. These are pretty much the only notable cons this TV model suffers from.

LG 65SK8000PUA: $896.99

LG’s LCD 4K HDR TVs aren’t nearly as famous or renowned as the company’s absolutely stunning OLED models. However, they’ve gotten consistently better over the last couple years and the 2018 batch was particularly decent. One of the better affordable models among these is the SK8000. It’s nowhere near the best 4K LCD TV for under $1000 on this list but it is nonetheless a decent performer and a 4K TV that’s very cheaply priced when all factors are considered. One big thing in the SK8000’s favor is that it delivers both IPS display technology, which allows for very wide viewing angles, while also managing a decent black level and contrast ratio. Previous LG IPS TV designs couldn’t pull off the latter and the result wasn’t what we’d call fantastic. In the SK8000 it’s pretty damn decent. That aside, the SK8000 also delivers some very good black levels despite its IPS display panel technology and in terms of HDR and SDR color rendering, it’s a solid display performer. Additionally, the SK8000 comes with local dimming technology that further boosts its black level and contrast performance. Overall, the above make and especially the IPS display aspect make the SK8000 an ideal budget 4K TV for a living room or den in which some of the seats are way off to one side. We should also mention that this LG LCD TV model supports Dolby Vision HDR specs and offers very good gaming connectivity. Finally –and this is the biggest reason why we include the SK8000 here in this list—what you get here may not be the best 4K TV of the bunch for less than $1000, but it’s certainly the biggest at 65 inches. That makes it a very decent deal.

The Best 4K & HDR TVs of 2018/2019 For Under $500

That’s what we’re going to cover here. We’re taking the idea of 4K on a budget even further down from $1000 dollar limits and right into a demonstration of the best possible picture quality and decent display size you can get even if your budget is less than half that amount. All of the following 4K ultra HD TVs offer high dynamic range, solid overall display performance and several other important features while costing less than $500. We’ve ranked them top to bottom from best down to least valuable for $500 or less.

Let’s get started.

TCL 55-inch 5-Series 4K HDR TV: $429.99

By far the best of the bunch on this ultra-lean budget listing of best 4K HDR TVs is TCL’s 5-Series S517 4K HDR LCD TV. In terms of display size and general overall quality, the 5-Series is a remarkably good performer for its price and not only does it pull this off, it also manages to throw in some premium technology. For one thing, what you get with the 430 dollars you’ll spend on the 55 inch model is a respectably large screen that’s good enough even for most living rooms. Along with that, the S517 also throws in full HDR support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10, beautiful wide color gamut coverage, superb console gaming performance (due to extremely low input lag) and some very good black levels and contrast ratio. Overall, it’s almost amazing for the price it sells at. Yes, TCL’s pricier and better built 6-Series, which we covered in our “Best 4K HDR TVs for Under $1000” guide is an even better choice but the 55 inch 5-Series is as good as things get at this even lower budget price.

We should also definitely mention this model’s Roku TV smart platform. It’s one of the best in existence today in terms of usability and sheer vast selection of apps and content, and even more importantly, it makes the TV come with a Roku remote that includes the normally premium technology of voice control.

On the negative side, the 5-Series is certainly not HDR powerhouse. Its peak brightness isn’t nearly as high as that of the 6-Series and unlike its pricier sister TV, this model lacks local dimming technology, which leaves more than a bit to be desired. Then again though, even with these defects, the sheer value for price of this model is excellent.

By far the best Samsung 4K HDR TV at this price is the NU7100, That said, for its 40, 43 or 49 inch screens (all three cost less than $500, though the 49 incher manages it on a technicality by only a penny) the NU7100 is a very good 4K HDR LCD TV that covers all the essentials of high quality advanced picture performance. It offers some key HDR display technologies in the form of HDR10 support and 10-bit color and also manages to deliver some very good black levels and contrast ratio.

In addition to these things, this model delivers a decent level of motion handling for its price and status in the Samsung 2018 4K TV hierarchy. The single best feature of the NU7100 though is its capability when it comes to gaming connectivity; the TV offers fantastically good input lag levels and support all sorts of resolution and color settings for advanced gameplay in 4K resolution, HDR or in combinations of the two and different color settings.

In terms of notable negative qualities, the NU7100 has a few even for its low price. For one thing, we wish that Samsung sold the 55 inch version at the price that the 49 inch model goes for and most unfortunately of all, think that this TV doesn’t get nearly as bright as it should for its status as an HDR 4K TV. At its best it underperforms even some of the mid-range Samsung TVs of 2016, such as the KU6300, which is downright unfortunate. One further negative quality of the NU7100 is that it lacks wide color gamut, which the TCL S517 ranked above it DOES come with (along with a notably brighter display).

Samsung 43 inch, 50-inch NU6900 4K HDR LCD TV: $323.23/ $427.99

The Samsung NU6900 is extremely similar to the NU7100 but lacks some of the superior motion handling that its slightly pricier cousin is capable of offering. In most other regards though it performs equally well. This means that it also delivers great overall color performance, excellent contrast ratio, deep, rich black levels and most importantly of all, it comes with a great capacity for handling gaming via consoles or PCs, in both 4K HDR settings and in other resolution and color support formats. The NU6900 is also a nice, lightly designed 4K TV that’s solidly built with a sturdy supporting stand and fairly narrow bezels along its screen edges. Most of all, this model makes for a very decent starter or bedroom/studio 4K TV and as a PC display or gaming screen, it’s nearly perfect for its price

In terms of negative aspects, the NU6900 is an even dimmer 4K HDR model than the NU7100 and this takes a good deal of the quality out of its high dynamic range display specs. Additionally, because it lacks wide color gamut, the overall color vibrancy that it can create for high dynamic range content is somewhat limited. On a final note, the NU6900 doesn’t throw out the best motion handling performance we’ve seen among budget 4K TVs. In this characteristic it’s fairly weak for fast-paced action content, particularly in 4K resolution.

Toshiba 55LF621U19 55-inch 4K HDR Amazon Fire TV: $399.99

The Toshiba 55LF621U19 is one of Amazon’s Fire 4K TVs and for this reason more than any other, it deserves a spot here. The Amazon Fire 4K “HDR” TVs are famous for offering basic but decent picture quality, great ultra HD content app access and a very, very good user control interface for extremely low prices. In other words, as long as you don’t mind less than excellent picture quality that is nonetheless fairly decent, this model and other Fire 4K TVs like it will deliver some of the best raw smart platform entertainment value for your money.

Best of all, they are dirt cheap for coming with such a large 55 inch screen while also featuring the normally premium feature of Amazon’s truly superb Alexa remote and smart TV platform, which offer excellent access to content apps along with some of today’s most sophisticated voice control technology for smart TVs. Overall, this Toshiba Fire 4K TV is a great value for its sheer low price of just under $400 mainly because of all the smart functionality it comes with. It also offers very decent if basic picture performance and true, full 4K resolution, which is more than we can say for the last under-$500 4K TV on our list.

The Toshiba 55LF621U19 suffers from the simple flaw of being a completely mediocre performer across all key metrics of picture quality. Yes it offers full, crystal clear 4K UHD resolution and this makes it a great TV in comparison to almost any 1080P HD model you could buy but the HDR on this model is extremely weak, its color performance is ordinary and its motion handling capability is only moderately decent. As long as you mind these deficiencies (and many people won’t at all), the Toshiba 55LF621U19 offers robustly good value for its price as a starter 4K TV with a remarkably good smart platform/remote control combo.

LG 49-INCH UK6300PUE 4K HDR TV: $396.02

LG’s 49 inch UK6300 is just about as affordably priced as a 4K HDR TV can get and in exchange for that low, low cost, it delivers a fairly functional but decent package of display performance specs, some limited HDR rendering capability and sharp, clear pseudo-4K resolution. Most of all though it offers excellent viewing angles due to its IPS display panel design and makes for a great 4K TV if you want to use it for gaming through consoles or as a PC monitor. It’s connectivity package is also robust and fully modern with all of the same essential ports and standards that you’d find in some of LG’s best 4K HDR TVs. The same goes for the inclusion of its excellent ThnkQ engine and Dolby Vision HDR support (though it won’t do you much good on this TV due to the weak display specs it delivers) In basic terms, the UK6300 makes for a bare-bones but fairly decent budget 4K TV and a very good starter model if you’re a student who’s just moving out and wants decent-sized home theater display at a nearly rock bottom price.

There are two major reasons why we ranked the LG UK6300 at the very bottom of our list and they both badly affect some aspects of its picture quality. First and foremost, this 4K UHD TV offers mediocre contrast ratios, terrible black levels and mediocre peak brightness. LG’s LCD 4K TVs used to commonly suffer these three highly related problems but some of the higher-priced 2018 and 2017 LCD editions have finally surmounted such issues. Not so for the UK6300: though it’s still a much better performer than comparably priced 2016 or older LG LCD cousins we’ve reviewed.

Given this potential trend and all the resulting buzz, you’re probably curious about what 4K TV is really all about.

Well, look no further for an explanation. We’re about to cover all the essentials of what 4K TV technology refers to and give you some solid advice on making a buying decision.

What Exactly Is 4K TV?

4K TV is a title used to describe any TV display technology that offers a total pixel count which offers 4 times the final resolution that you’d find in ordinary Full HD TVs. A 4K TV doesn’t exactly need to have 4,000+ pixels in horizontal pixilation. Instead, with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 (as most 4K TVs have, it already offers 4 times the resolution of 1920 x 1080p typical Full HD displays; though some 4K TV models do indeed offer even more than 4,000p horizontal resolution. Some TVs come with a flat screen while others might be curved, here is a great guide on the Pros & Cons of a curved TV.

Furthermore, 4K televisions aren’t just about their massively augmented pixel count. They also offer a whole plethora of other technological enhancements that leave many conventional HD TVs in the dust. These include much better frame rates than normal HD TV, the ability to upscale regular HD video, far superior wide color gamut color palettes and HDR contrast ratios along with extras like full 3D TV capacity in most cases.

What’s the Difference Between 4K and UHD?

In practical terms as far as branding is concerned, there is no difference between UHD and 4K. In most cases, TV manufacturers use the two terms interchangeably to describe the same 4K technology. However, if we’re speaking strictly, 4K is different in the sense that it has to consist of display resolution at least four times greater than that of normal 1080p HD and by its own industry standard it is specifically defined as 4096 x 2160 pixels (at a 1.9:1 aspect ratio).

UHD, on the other hand, can be used to describe any resolution range that’s considerably larger than normal 1920 x 1080 Full HD.

So for example, any type of TV resolution that doesn’t reach 4K levels but does give you say twice the pixel count of 1920 x 1080p would also be considered UHD, and furthermore, any resolution that goes way beyond even 4K TV, such as say 8K technology at 7680×4320 pixels would also be considered UHD.

In fact, there are also several types of informally defined 4K resolutions such as those with pixel counts of 4096 × 2160p or 3996 × 2160p. The bottom line is that 4K is a format which outstrips pretty much anything else currently commercially available for the consumer market.

What about High Dynamic Range?

The biggest technology to yet come along for home entertainment is high dynamic range, and 4K TVs are right at ground zero of this new trend because at least so far, HDR has been applied exclusively to 4K displays and 4K UHD content without shifting over to Full HD video as well. This first became broadly evident in the premium ultra HD TVs of 2015 but in 2016 and 2017 it expanded much further to cover all mid-range and premium television models from pretty much every single brand. And for 2018 and 2019 4K TVs, pretty much all models sold at least support pass-through of HDR formatting; even most low-cost 4K UHD TVs include HDR color and dynamic range specs as part of their core package of features. This includes the mid-range TCL P-Series models of 2017, Sony’s low-priced X800E televisions and pretty much all of Samsung’s 4K TV lineup for 2016 and 2017. LG has also included HDR color and dynamic range levels in all of its newer 4K HDR OLED and LCD TV models. In basic terms, 4K TVs today all come with some degree of HDR display performance, though the premium and flagship TVs from each major brand (such as those listed as our Best Picks at the top of this page) offer what could truly be called comprehensive and stunning HDR display.

As for what HDR itself does to TV display quality, well we can’t understate the value of the technology. Unlike 4K resolution, which only really makes a visual impact in larger TVs viewed at closer distances, the picture quality improvements in color, contrast and realism are immediately visible in even the smallest TV sets viewed from almost any normal distance. This is because with this technology, color range, color depth and contrast precision are all dramatically enhanced in content which has been formatted to display in HDR on a TV with a compatible display. Currently, the three main HDR standards in the consumer market are HDR10, Dolby Vision and for some types of broadcast content, HLG. At least one of these and now more frequently both are available in all HDR TVs currently being sold.

Basically, HDR is turning into a technology with even more importance than 4K resolution itself and it’s definitely here to stay and get refined further down the road. All of the genuinely high quality 4K TVs of 2016 and 2017 come with HDR and if you’re just now thinking of buying a new 4K TV, high dynamic range is one of the core features you absolutely should make sure to see included in your model of choice regardless of your budget. Doing so will offer the benefit of future-proofing your TV for new content and other standards during a longer period of time than would be the case if you simply went for a basic SDR 4K model.

4K TV and Home Theater Costs

Though these gadgets make some truly superb home theater setups, they aren’t cheap yet. On average, a decent 50 inch TV or more from any one of the major high end brands that make them (such as Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio) will cost you a highly affordable minimum of $600 USD new and decent 65” inch to 75 inch models go for nearly twice that price but many models in these size ranges can cost well below $2000 towards the $1000 end. Great examples would be Vizio’s superb 2017 HDR 4K TVs in the P-Series and M-Series. 85” inch and above TVs nearly cost $10,000!.

However, prices are indeed dropping and at a steady pace. In comparison to what the first mass produced 4K TVs cost back in late 2012, todays models are not only more feature rich but also considerably cheaper for it. Furthermore, even the big brands like Samsung, Sony 4K TV and LG now have a number of smaller models with screens at or below the 50″ inch size level which sometimes sell for less than $1000. These are very small 4K UHD TVs but at least they offer some truly superb visual technologies and will only continue to offer more display features as things like quantum dots and HDR mature and proliferate in 4K televisions of all sizes and prices.

The bottom line for 4K UHD TV pricing is that it’s dropping and like a stone. At the same time, the overall quality of these 4K TVs is expanding enormously with new specs, new features and other new technologies which are pretty much exclusive to 4K TVs and also happen to make them superb investments. For one thing, you’ll be buying a TV that’s future ready and can handle the content that will increasingly fill the Ultra HD market in the next 3 to 5 years and secondly, many 4K TV models such as any of Samsung’s excellent 4k UHD TV SUHD editions come with design and warranty features that make them very easy to upgrade as new advancements come along.

4K Content and Regular Content

For the moment, actual native 4K content for your would be UHD TV is still in the minority among content choices but its range is growing quickly and now includes a much wider than ever selection of 4K streaming offerings, VOD 4K movies and shows, download 4K content and even live broadcast sports and other movies from a number of services. You can check all of these out here on our movies page for plenty of details on what to get and from which source. Keep in mind however that for streaming 4K entertainment from the major sources like Vudu, Amazon Prime and Netflix among others, a fast internet connection of at least 20Mbs is essential. Furthermore, with the advent of 4K HDR TVs, the content available in high dynamic range and 4K resolution is also expanding in scope. Netflix, Amazon and Vudu are two particular sources of HDR ultra HD programming and if you have one of the HDR 4K TVs that have emerged from 2015 onward, these are definitely worth checking out for a truly stunning home theater experience. On top of these options, there is also the growing body of 4K ultra HD Blu-ray disc media that’s on sale with new release and remastered classic movies being sold for consumers who own a 4K TV and a 4K UHD Blu-ray media player. To date, nothing quite beats 4K HDR Blu-ray in terms of sheer picture quality, at least from what we’ve seen so far when viewing this type of content on TVs with high dynamic range.

However, for now, most of your enjoyment will probably come from seeing the enhancements your TV offers to conventional HD content, which according to some users are definitely noticeable (though others disagree on this). At the very least, having your TV, you’ll be ready to enjoy any new UHD content that will almost certainly be emerging at an accelerated pace over the next couple of years.

Connectivity Essentials

One of the crucial aspects of deciding which 4K television to buy revolves around the connectivity specs your TV is going to come with. In this area, you need to pay careful attention to making sure the TV you buy comes with the right specs so that you can enjoy ultra HD content in the widest possible variety at the best possible level of quality.

There are several key connections and connectivity specs any 4K TV worth its salt must have if you want to be up to date with the latest and best content delivery technology.

For starters, any 4K TV worth its salt must have at least 1 and preferably several HDMI 2.0a ports built into it. Ideally, at least one of these ports should also be HDCP 2.2 enabled. Thus, with these in place, you will get access to the widest range of 4K content from set-top boxes, external media players, Blu-ray players and other potential sources. Furthermore, because HDMI 2.0a is uniquely capable of delivering 4K HDR content at a much smoother refresh rate of 60 frames per second, you’ll be able to enjoy your entertainment on the screen much more smoothly.

Smart TV is an integral part of any decent 4K TV setup and all of the major brands include Smart functionality as a fundamental feature of their ultra HD TV models. In fact, a very large part of what 4K TVs are all about revolves around their Smart platforms, and there are many to choose from indeed.

First of all, just to cover the essentials of Smart TV as a whole, we need to briefly describe what all such platforms have in common.

In the most basic terms, a Smart TV is any television, HD or 4K, that is capable of connecting to the web and runs with its own internal operating system with interactive technology and access to streaming media apps and other software systems.

Thus, most modern smart TVs come with their own different operating systems depending on which brand you’re dealing with and in all of these different platforms, you’ll find essential features like a web browsing platform, a central apps navigation and search menu, a series of interactive controls for TV display and configuration options and access to things like on-demand video rental apps, internet music streaming platforms, and the media player software for running all of these. All Smart TV platforms connect to the internet connection in a home via either a wired Ethernet connection or through the powerful WiFi that virtually all 4K TVs have built into them.

Some of the major brands use their own natively developed Smart TV operating systems while others install major adaptations of third party platforms. Some notable examples of the former are LG 4k TV with its native (and excellent) WebOS 2.0 and some highly effective examples of the second include the Android TV platform for 4K that’s found on Sony’s latest 4k UHD TVs, or the Firefox TV OS found in select Panasonic 4K TVs.

Because smart TV platforms are essentially computing platforms very similar to those found in a PC, their online connectivity also means that they can be updated remotely as new apps come along and new features for their different software features. These updates are often automatic and include better software, new games and all sorts of other constantly developing technologies and entertainment mediums.

Finally, if your own 4K TV’s smart platform isn’t something you’re happy with, there are numerous plug-and-play streaming media platforms available online or in stores with their own, often much better internal smart platforms and content apps. We go into deep detail on these and just how affordable and easy to install they are in our “Streaming and Gaming Media Devices” page, here.

What’s the Bottom Line, Is 4K TV Sticking Around and Should I buy One?

Addtionally, the bottom line is that 4K Televsions are the new mass market premium TVs that Full HD models were a few years ago. Thus, it is 4K TV models which get all of the best connectivity specs, the most innovative new display technologies (like the HDR covered above) and assorted other features. In essence, the best and brightest of quality home entertainment is almost entirely geared towards the sort of technologies found in today’s 4K UHD TVs. What this obviously means is that if you want access to the cutting edge of home entertainment, a 4K TV and particularly a newer HDR 4K TV is basically becoming an essential purchase.

As to whether or not you should buy one of these TVs, well that’s a very personal decision that depends a lot on your finances and love of truly superior home entertainment systems. However, if you really want to be ready for the inevitable rise of 4K resolution as a replacement of 1080p HD, then at least one of the more affordable 4K TV screens would make for a great investment, especially now that 4K televisions become the de facto top-shelf models form all the major brands, meaning that they are the TVs in which the best and latest display technologies like high dynamic range and wide color gamut get included.

What sort of 4K TV is right for me?

This is another rather subjective issue for would-be 4K TV buyers but a few key considerations are going to simplify your own decision making process here. First of all, as a general rule, bigger is indeed better with 4K TVs. This isn’t to say that a larger TV is always better than a smaller TV –because some smaller models offer much better display specs than other larger-issue models– but larger screens of 55 inches or more generally deliver a much better appreciation of native ultra HD resolution and upscaled non-4K video as well. The arrival of HDR in numerous different 4K TVs of all dimensions has definitely made size less of a factor in display quality than it was before but even here, a larger screen with UHD resolution definitely shows off HDR color and contrast much more impressively than a small screen does.

What we can definitely say is that you should buy the largest and best possible 4K TV your budget allows you to get your hands on while also not stretching yourself too far for something which offers only a bit more screen real estate but leaves you too broke to really appreciate your television. Thus, if a 55 inch model from a major brand costs several hundred dollars less than a 65 inch version of the same TV, the 55 incher will probably be more than good enough if your budget is a bit tight.

Another thing to keep in mind is that many 4K TV specs and manufacturer touted features often mean very little or nothing when it comes to actual performance in a 4K television. Looking at specs sheets is great for knowing if a TV has the right sort of connectivity, or if it has certain basic smart TV features or not, or if there is HDR and 3D technology in the model but beyond these sorts of things, manufacturer-described benefits like “great color”, “contrast enhancement engines” and motion interpolation technologies can be either misleading or outright false. Instead, pay attention to real third party review descriptions of key performance metrics or best of all, see if you can observe a model you’re interested in a showroom as it performs in the flesh.

Below we’ve selected several of the 4K UHD TVs for 2017 and 2018 which we consider to be the best on the market today, either based on their sheer quality or on a combination of very decent quality and affordable pricing. These models cover both the budget end of the spectrum and the ultra premium end but all of them have something great to offer in terms of home entertainment for their given price range. Below the following select 4K TVs, we’ve also listed links to our 4K TV size guides, which cover all the best currently reviewed 4 TVs we’ve covered so far by different size categories.

For some well researched listings on the best 4K TVs by size range, check out our own guides to the best 4K TVs on sale today in all the different sizes ranging from a compact 40 inches up to a gigantic 80+ inches. The following links will take you to each guide, and we updates these guides regularly.

Hello there Mike, If you had asked the question about buying in 2014, i’d have said wait a little while and let the tehnology standardize and become cheaper, but now things have definitely reached that level and continue to improve. This is a good time to get your hands on a 4K TV and many options are available for fantastic prices, often comparable to the costs of HDTVs still. Throughout our site you’ll find reviews of numerous affordable and more top-shelf models (depending on which interests you). Almost all reviews have links to excellent sale offers.

Do you guys know of any upcoming deals for Blackfriday / Cyber monday? Looking to buy a 4k tv but not sure if I should buy it during labor day or wait till Blackfriday. I will probably go with the Vizio-M as it looks like its the best bang for your money. Any other TV recommendations?

and I also recommend you look at some of Samsung’s 55 inch or smaller SUHD JS7500 and below 4K TV models or at their JU models in the 55 inch range. Many of these are very affordable and very high quality, particularly the SUHD TVs.

Hi Steve can you help me choose between the Samsung UN50JU7100 and the Vizio P602UI-B3 which is better regarding picture quality and gaming experience, i’ve been searching the internet to get some answers hope you can help me…thanks

Hi Andrew, I’ve already replied to your other posting of this comment, but to rehash, I’d recommend the Samsung. Vizio’s full-array LED backlighting is a wonderful premium technology but Samsung delivers better future-proofing and superior overall picture quality in my view. You could also spend a little bit more and go for one of Samsung’s more economical SUHD JS TV models. These offer even better color and superior real contrast.

I recently purchased the Samsung JS9500 even though it was rated only 3.5 on Amazon. Ignore the reivews and do your own research, it was an absolutely amazing television. Best one I’v every bought by far!

Anyhow, the only issue with 4k TVs at the moment is the lack of available content. The only real provider of content is Ultraflix and services like Netflix provide very little. Its kind of annoying having subscriptions to all of these services. Any idea when netflix will be adding more 4k content?

Vizio M80-c3 versus LG 79UF7700? Both sets are within $100 on the Dell website, do you recommend one over the other (around $3500 with gift card)? The Vizio review you have posted sounds a lot more impressive, but the LG review seems to compare with OLED TV’s made by LG more than with other UHD’s. I can see why, given the LG’s retail price, however, if both the Vizio and LG are selling for the same price, is there a clear winner? The last TV I bought was a 2002 rear projection Hitachi, and I don’t plan on buying another TV for 10-12 years. Your input would be gratefully appreciated.

Hello Loius. I would argue that, given a more or less equal price, you’re slightly better off with the Vizio model. While this particular TV isn’t perfect, it offers full-array backlighting and comes with some very good picture quality overall for a budget TV. The 79UF7700 on the other hand maintains good color at angles and comes with a better smart TV system (better than Vizio’s in our book) However, its overall picture quality is slightly subpar and the TV definitely can’t be compared to one of LG’s OLED models in terms of contrast. It’s dark tones are not perfect as they are in OLED models.

Hi Andrew, weighing them all up, I’d absolutely go for the UN60JS7000. It might slightly stretch the upper end of your budget with taxes etc but you almost certainly won’t be unhappy with your purchase. The JS7000 has the best overall technology of the three, the best color, contrast and despite its lack of a full-array LED backlighting system it still probably provides better overall illumination and contrast than Vizio’s very good but not quite as advanced M65. If your biggest consideration is screen size, then go for one of the latter two (a much closer tie on which is best but i’d argue for the JU6500) but the difference between 60 and 65 inches isn’t so major as the difference between 60 and 70 inches.

No actually, and thank for pointing it out Eric. Samsung itself claimed this on their site and it seems to be an error on their part, but one which has fooled many people including us. This will be corrected in the review. As far as we can tell from its display quality and the menu options, the JS7000 is edge-lit.

I Bought a Vizio 50 ince as a toy on last Black Friday. Love it !!! has 5 HDMI outputs.
I use it as a TV and monitor. Up scales my Mac and win 10 PC s to 1920_1080 P .
Up scales old Movies_ TV shows on netflix, Amazon > tweak Picture to your liking.
Retired Navy so wait a little while to get Larger TV. In law has Sony UHD ,mine is better.

Hello Karine, right off the top of my head, I’d recommend one of Samsung’s smallest 4K TV models. Even some of their JU TVs come in sizes below 50 inches and they are very solid 4K televisions.One 40 inch model in particular: the Samsung UN40JU7500. You could also spend a bit more and if you’re willing to handle a 48 inch TV with some absolutely excellent color and contrast specs, you could go for the 48 inch Samsung 4K SUHD UN48JS8500 model, for example.

I am stuck deciding between the Sony XBR79x900b and the Sony XBR75x850c. Both same price, just trying to see which one I will be better off with.
Also, will not be using the 900b speakers d/t having the Sonos player/sub already.

Hello there Ryan.. Balancing the two out, i’d have to say that the X850C is the better option. It’s a newer TV and offers Sony’s improved Triluminos Display technology (older models came with quantum dot Triluminos and this years models use a slightly better phosphor-based color enhancing technology). Furthermore, the X850C is more likely to receive an HDR update (im just speculating on this last point but Sony is indeed expanding HDR compatibility to more of its higher-end, newer 2015 TV models).

This is a bit of a tough call to make but while you might get lucky with a deal on that specific model, it’s more likely that Samsung will assign discounts to some of its more economical SUHD TVs in my view. If you want the JS9000, buying it now is unlikely to cost you much or at all less than buying it during the holidays.

And in a comparison between the two. it’s a very tough call. Both are superb and practically equal in terms of color, contrast and other key specs. Given this, your best deciding factor should be price (which you can get for a slightly better deal). Also, the JS9000, as a samsung model, offers a couple more 4K video source options that are exclusively available to Samsung’s newer 4K TVs. Xfinity from Comcast and M-Go’s rather limited 4K content service are two examples, if they’re available where you live.

This is an awesome resource! Thank you! I am in the market for a 4K TV that’s 65″-70″ in screen size and between $1800 – $2200. After a lot of research, still pretty confused. I currently have the following models on my shortlist

How much difference does a 70″ make over a 65″ TV?
Quality of upscaling would be very important to me given that HD content is likely to far outweigh 4K for some time to come.
Do FALD make a huge difference over edge-lit displays if the latter is done well?

Which of these would you recommend? Further, would you suggest waiting for the upcoming holiday season for significant price drops on any of these models?

First, 70 inches does make a visible difference over 65 inches when you’re looking at both side by side but not so much of one that you should make it your main consideration or when you’ve only got the 65 inch TV in your home without a bigger screen for comparison, soon the 65 inches will look plenty large enough. Furthermore, a high quality 65 inch display is much better in the home than a mediocre 70 inch display. The extra inches in a mediocre TV will only make you notice imperfections more. Picture quality is always more important than size when the difference in screen size is only a few inches.

Second, FALD is only slightly more notable than edge-lit if the edge-lit display is of a high quality (Samsung’s and Sony’s TVs are particularly known for the high quality of their edge-lit backlighting, as are the more top-shelf Panasonic 4K TVs)

Third, as for the best TV out of the choices you present above, I’d probably go for the Sony. It doesn’t come with FALD like the Vizio model and its screen is slightly smaller but the quality of the display is one we’ve noted previously as being very good and the connectivity options on the X850C are great. Also, if I recall correctly it comes with Triluminos Display, which means better color. Furthermore, Sony has one of the best upscaling engines among all the brands, if not perhaps the best of them all.

As a second choice i’d recommend the Samsung JU6500 and then the Vizio. I’d be careful with the LG model unless you see it with your own eyes displaying content in a store display and are sure it displays well. some of LG’s non-OLED TVs seem to have problems with contrast in particular and a couple of other display deficiencies in our experience. If you can get a chance to look at all five TVs displaying uppscaled content in a showroom or sales floor

Many many thanks for the detailed reply! Truly appreciate the super useful responses.

Couple of additional questions:
1. Any thoughts on the Sharp? IT does not appear to be as widely reviewed as the other models. Also, the price just dropped to below $2000
2. I know this a tricky question, but based just on the cycle of product releases, do you anticipate prices of any of these models to drop further in the next couple of months?

No problem Gopal, to answer your two additional questions as best I can:

1. Sharp models can be solid performers but it can be a bit risky with them and I’d generally lean more towards Samsung or Sony if the price for one of their newer (2015, late 2014) 4K TV models is affordable for you, even if either brand costs a bit more than the Sharp.

2. Personally, I wouldn’t expect general price drops that are too major happening until early 2016 but there is a chance of some very cool deals on select 4K TV models emerging during the holiday shopping season. You might want to wait and see at least, unless you’re in a hurry for your new TV.

I am planning to buy sony 43 inch 4k tv 📺 currently 1000$ in cambodia. Should I go for this or is there any best alternative to this ..I am interested less than 49 inch and NOT Running 🏃 for 4k tv 📺
Any idea 💡? Thx

Hey there Bill, just a couple quick comments. Both are very solid TVs (most of Samsung’s late 2014 and 2015 4K models are excellent) However, between the two, I’d definitely go for the JS700FXZA. It’s one of the slighlty more conomical of Samsung’s SUHD TVs and features some of the company’s more innovative technologies. At the very least, it will deliver a superior level of color performance and also probably beat the JU670DFXZA on contrast as well.

All of them are solid TVs but the newest of the bunch is also the best overall for color. I’d go for the JS7000, it will offer the most value for your dollars though it does suffer a little bit on contrast. The J6300 is okay but has some issues with color shift at angles in our experience. The UN55H8000 is also a great TV and our second pick after the JS7000. As for the HU6840, not bad (nothing from Samsung is really crappy) but I think it’s the weakest choice out of the 4.

hello,
i am looking for 65″ 4k tv, but i am really confused now as every electronic store telling me different things. . sony ( seems more expensive), sumsung (is somehow too bright, always get a headache from watching it at the electronic store), LG and panasonic, a little worried as i just saw a guy refunding the LP today at an electronic store, he told me to stay away from LG and panasonic as they share same IPS panel, and have problem with the “white bending”.
can you list out from the top 1- 5 choices for me. i am more confuse now than ever.

budget within 2000-3500usd . even though i can pay up to 3500 usd, i prefer to stay somewhere in the 2500, but if the price increase can be justify by much better tech and much better future proofing ( watched my last HD ready DLP TV for over 8 years now) , then i can pay higher price.

I suggest you take a careful look at those but for some more specific advice: I would generally recommend only LG’s OLED 4K TVs if you want real performance. The company can make solid 4K UHD LCD TVs but in our view both Sony and Samsung, and even Panasonic outperform LG at LCD/LED TV display quality. In fact, LG’s EG9600 OLED 4K is arguably the very best 4K TV of 2015, bar none, and if you’re willing to go for a 55 inch model, it will comfortably fit into your $3000 budget and will almost certainly leave you very pleased with performance. http://4k.com/tv/a-review-of-the-lg-electronics-65eg9600-65-inch-4k-ultra-hd-3d-curved-smart-oled-tv/

As for your budget and the 65 inch TV you’re looking for in LCD/LED models, I’d suggest some of the newer models from Sony. They are excellent choices and the 65 inch X940C is not only one of the very best 4K LCD TVs out this year, it also sells for a price that’s just a bit above what your maximum is, if you might watn to stretch your budget out a bit more. If not, then go for the X930C. It’s almost as good but lacks full array LED backlighting. Despite this, it still offers superb picture quality, connectivity and smart TV features.

As for Samsung’s 4K TVs, the SUHD lines from the company are their very best and if you have a problem with brightness, it can be adjusted downward if I recall.

It’s definitely a tough comparison. I’d argue that you’ll be happy with either one. The Sony has somewhat better contrast but the Samsung offers superior color and angle viewing in our recollection. Given the closeness, I’d recommend picking one or the other based mainly on price and on what you prefer if you can manage to see both showing native 4K content and active in a store display.

Hello Brian, Absolutely go for the OLED. LG is somewhat funny on the quality of their LED/LCD TVs and if you want that kind of technology then Sony or Samsung, as well as Panasonic offer much better overall quality. However, nothing yet beats LG’s OLED and the 10 inch sacrifice in display size is in our view worth the perfect contrast and superb realism of the display. And referring specifically to the 79UF7700, That particular model offers some good color but also shows poor black rendering and it’s contrast suffers as a result… This is not a good thing to have happen in such a large screen.

Great website. I’m debating between the Samsung UN75HU8550 or UN78HU9000 or whether I should pay a lot more for the UN78JS9100. Is there a big difference to warrant paying quite a bit more? Can you tell me what the difference even is? Thank you.

I’m thinking about purchasing a TV for my bedroom, UN43JU640DFXZA. I just read your review on JU6400 40 inch. Are these similar? Are there major differences from say the JS8500 series? I’m not so sure I want such a large TV, but if it’s better, I may reconsider.

I am researching for a new 4K TV between 50in – 55in and am very confused by all the different choices! I could spend between £800 – £1,200. Could you advise what brands or models would be considered the best choice in terms of picture quality for this budget? I’ve read a lot of good things about the Samsung and Sony 4K TVs but am open to suggestions. It’s an overwhelming task and it’s such a big purchase I would like to get it right.

Hi there Annie, this is actually a bit more of a complicated question and we’d love to have it available in our Forum for other readers to browse as well. If you don’t mind, would you mind reposting it there under the TV section? Here is the link: http://discuss.4k.com/

We’ll happily answer to the best of my ability in the forums, which I check regularly for new questions.

Hey there, Jason. I am looking at the 2015 Samsung SUHD 55 8550.
I am kinda torn on the LG 55EC9300 OLED as well.
Could I pick your brain real quick, and ask what are your thoughts on the two models.
I will be making the purchase in the next week and I am getting a bit nervous as what to get. lol
I pretty much know the Samnsung SSUHD through and through, although the LG OLED 9300 is a tv that I am not all too familiar with…other than knowing how awesome the OLED is and somewhat familiar with the WebOS.
Thank you
I would be grateful. Larry

Could you advise me on what would be a better of the two. They are both nice, although your expertise could help me out a lot; I will be making the purchase in the coming days…week or so.
Samsung SUHD558550 or LG EC9300 OLED
I amd very familiar with the samsung, although not that familiar with the LG, other than the WebOS and the OLED
Any info would be much appreciated.

With Black Friday deals posted at Best Buy.I’m looking to buy a 55 inch 4k tv.Primary uses would be Tv/Movies and Sports.No gaming.My concerns are Color… Viewing Angle…Contrast…Brightness/Reflections for lining room.My choices are narrowed down to.

The two Sonys are both excellent 4K TVs with superb contrast, excellent color and decent viewing angles. The X850C is the slightly better one in our view. However, if you do decide to go for the X810C, then get the larger 65 inch model because the 55 inch doesn’t have IPS panel technology for sharp angle viewing.

As for the Samsungs, the JS7000 is your best bet between the two but either of the two Sony TVs you mentioned here are better than the JS7000 as far as contrast, color and motion control goes. Sony’s better 4K TVs are also well known for excellent judder control, something that we think they beat many Samsung TVs like the JS7000 on. However, the Samsung model offers superior motion blur control.

Overall, i’d recommend the Sony X850C or a 65 inch X810C even more so, if you don’t mind spending a couple hundred dollars more than you proposed.

Our reviews of them all except the JS6500, which we haven’t yet had a chance to look over:

To answer your first question, the grey uniformity of the X850C is not the very best from what we recall. It’s not bad but it’s not wonderful either. We’d say that it’s about in the middle. However, because this TV offers some absolutely excellent motion blur control, judder control, superb contrast and some very vibrant color performance, I think it’s still very worthwhile despite the average grey uniformity.

For your second question, IPS panel technology is also better in terms of a reduced chance of a blackening effect (darker patches on the screen), offers more vibrant color reproduction and is also more resiliant to pressure against the screen, though this last characteristic isn’t so important with TVs like it is with touchscreen notebooks.

Thank you for such a quick response.I’m limited space wise thats why i was looking @55″ models.I think your spot on about Sony’s having better contrast /color/and motion blur….but the Samsung JS7000 55″ has an IPS panel…so the viewing angle would be greater and also comes with full-array backlighting….so i guess both models have great points.LOL…now if i could just combine both models..i’d have perfect 55″ 4k tv.If theres another 55″ model that you think covers all my wishes..i’d be grateful for a suggestion.

Dan looks like we are both trying to make the exact same decision about the exact same TV’s. I am now leaning towards the 850C (replacing a 2 year old Samsung plasma with a bad display so they wont get my $$$ this time) and will see how the panel looks for gray uniformity once I get it home. One nice thing about buying from the local BBox guys is that if there is an issue you can return it easily.

Hi again Dan and you’re very welcome. We do our best to give the most accurate advice we can as long as we know enough about what to suggest. As for yet another model. It’s a bit tricky to say for sure and I can virtually guarantee you that you’ll be very happy with either of the TVs I suggested in my previous reply. However, feel free to take a look at this post we did about some of the best TVs for different budgets. There are some very solid suggestions there and if you have further doubts or questions about a particular model, feel free to ask.

Also, you might want to decide which TV to buy based on the upcoming Black Friday deals which will be emerging, just a bit of a budget oriented suggestion from us. You can see some of these deals in this post below and we’ll be putting out two further posts with even more 4K TV and gadget deals within the next couple days:

Hi there J. Out of the three TVs you’ve mentioned, I’d strongly recommend the Samsung JS7000 above all the others as far as your criteria go. It really is a great 4K TV. I don’t recommend the LG model. We have reviewed several LG LCD 4K TVs and mostly find them to be less than excellent and definitely inferior to any of the Samsung SUHD JS TVs. LG is beautiful when it comes to their 4K OLED TVs but their LCD models underperform on a lot of specs, almost all of the ones we’ve reviewed at least.

I’m concerned with hackers being able to access private audio & video in my home through these tvs. The article didn’t cover anything about this & I’m not up on these things & how they work. Is there something out there to prevent this from happening? I’d appreciate all the info you can give me on the subject concerning these tvs & security. Thanks!

Though I don’t doubt that such hacks are remotely possible given the web connected nature of modern 4K smart TVs, I think the key word here is “remotely”… I have personally never heard of an such hack on a consumer level and believe that it would be extremely improbable in practical terms. Unfortunately, we aren’t so much of a digital security website (though posts on the subject aren’t out of the question for the future) but again, from our knowledge, a hack like this is simply very unlikely. Data thieves are usually far more interested in the pickings found within corporate banking and financial databases or personal computers than consumer media content choices on 4K TVs..

I just got an alert that Target placed a 10% discount on the Samsung UN55J6300AXFZA that they have on sale for 697.99. Since this unit has the HDMI 2.2 and some of the other features that have been touted here would this be a good deal?

Hello Mike, thanks for the update. We’ll be putting up two more Black Friday deals posts within then next 48 hours which will cover a wide range of deals including those from Target on 4K TVs and an array of other gadgets. For now, I highly recommend you check out our current 4K Black Friday TV deals post for plenty of excellent offers.

Hi I’m torn between what to buy between the Sony Bravia KD-55S8005CBU curved and a Samsung UE55JU7500 3d curved! Could you advise which is the better TV and why and which is more future proof for example for UHD blu-Rays, also which has the best curve as I’ve heard the Sony’s is more natural and the Samsung can distort the edges of the picture so I’m baffled please help!

Hi there Simon, both TVs are probably similar in terms of overall quality and as far as future proofing goes, they’re also about equal with each other. However, Samsung does offer their One Connect and One Connect Mini external connectivity boxes (which can later be replaced as new connection standards emerge), which makes them a bit more flexible for new connection standards. You’ll probably be happy with either TV but the curve is a bit annoying, especially for smaller 4K TVs and in our view doesn’t offer any real extra viewing advantage, though some users seem to prefer it.

Thanks for getting back to me, in terms of connections I’ll only need a HDMI output for 4K UHD Blu-Ray players won’t I? Also I was interested in the curve as I wanted a more immersive experience when watching films especially in 3D as I am rather close the the TV I think anything bigger than a 55 would be overwhelming, I have a Samsung 46 full Hd 3D TV now but sometimes it feels a tad small.

Hi Simon, to the best of our knowledge so far, yes, you’ll need only an HDMI output for 4K UHD Blu-Ray players. The newest TVs are all ready for this and the only caveat so far is that it be HDM1 2.0 or 2.0a, not HDMI 1.4, for an ideal experience

HELP!! I have read reviews until I am dumb. LG 60 inch UF7300 for $ 899 or a Vizio M series for $1099. I watch sports, movies and BBC documentaries from 10-12 feet away. No cable, I use a roku 3 and an antenna. What should I buy?

Hey there Brad, Go for the Vizio M-Series 4K UHD TV. I absolutely recommend it over any LG LCD 4K TV. LG does a fantastic job with its OLED UHD TVs but their LCD/LED (liquid crystal/normal LED) models aren’t so great most of the time, with terrible contrast. And although I don’t want to saturate you further still, another excellent and affordable choice in 55 inches is the Sony X810C. This TV has great judder control and motion blur control, which will be gret for sports and especially for native live 4K sports down the road, like that offered by BT Sport in the U.K. (In case you live there)

Are there any review on the LG 60UF7300 yet? I purchased it Saturday, used the calibration setting I found on rrating for the 65uf6800. Colors appear flat and sometimes, images aren’t crisp on the TV, similar to what I’ve seen on LG televisions Ive come across in the past. in my opinion. Weird thing is that, whenever I watch 4k Content the picture is immaculate but regular cablevision 1080i is hit or miss. I have about 12 days to return. I wasn’t if I should take the LG back and get the Vizio 60M-C3. Could you please lend your expertise

I just bought a LG65UF8500 and its got quite a bit of light bleed and clouding. Otherwise picture looks great…when its not in dark scenes. I want to stay at 65″ but am considering now Sony x850c and 8500 series Samsung.

LG’s LCD 4K TVs (and we include the UF8500 in this assessment) are notable for these types of problems. They often suffer from poor contrast, uneven black uniformity and sometimes even light bleed or clouding. LG makes exquisite 4K OLED TV models but they seem to often drop the ball on their LCD/LED 4K TVs.

Now, for your second question, between the Samsung JS8500 and the Sony X850C, I definitely recommend the JS8500 from Samsung more. It’s one of our top recommended 4K UHD TVs, as you can see here: http://4k.com/tv/
And it also offers across the board better performance. The JS8500 is a good performer with judder control, HD upscaling, motion blur control, contrast and offers some excellent color. The Sony is a good TV too but in this case, Samsung beats them. The Samsung JS8500 is also available at a discount for Black Friday, which is a great bonus in its favor. You can check out the price discounts for this model here in our Black Friday discussion forum thread:

Hi there Jake. Between the three, i’ll discount the JU6700 as the weakest choice right off the bat (though it is still a great 4K TV, just not as good as these other two). Leaving us the JU7500 and the JS7000. And in this case, I’d recommend the JU7500 more, the reasons, I’ll copy here from an earlier reply to another reader about the same TV:

“About the quality of the JU7500: It is a great TV by almost any measure. This isn’t one of Samsung’s SUHD TVs (JS line) so you won’t get HDR or QD color but nonetheless, this model delivers some great all-around performance. It’s particularly decent in terms of color, contrast, judder and motion blur control. It also does some very high quality HD content upscaling, which you’ll need for all your normal non-4K video.”

Thus, while the JS7000 does feature quantum dot color (but no HDR support as far as I recall) The JU7500 probably performs a bit better on the whole, even if it’s a bit weaker on color and possibly looks.

Hi Steve I am thinking on pulling the trigger on a LG 4k smart TV (49uf6800). I own a terrific Panasonic Plasma TV which I would like to upgrade in my family which does not allow a lot of natural light to come in. I watch a lot of sports and PVR’d programs. Is this a good upgrade for the future?. Ted

Thank you for the quick response. I watch sports a lot. is there any advantage of the following over the other. Which is the best for my situation. Should I buy now or wait a little bit. Is there any other model I should consider?
JU7500
js8000
js8500

Hi Jake. If you’re willing to spend a bit more money, I’d say that the JS8500 is possibly the best 4K TV of the bunch in your list. The JU7500 still stacks up very nicely though (but without QD color) and the JS8000 is great too but if you’re already going for a SUHD TV by considring it, you’re probably better off with the JS8500.

As for whether you should buy whichever now or wait. It depends on your needs and how quickly you want a high quality home entertainment system gracing your home. Right now there are definitely still some good deals to be found on these as many Black Friday sales continue straight into Cyber Monday (which we will also be covering by tomorrow morning) However, there will also certainly be some decent Christmas holiday discounts coming if you’re not in a rush.

I just read a review you wrote on LG 49″ UF6400. But I can not find 49″ UF6800 here, nor could I find the difference anywhere else. Do you know the difference between the two and if 6800 model is better or the same.

These are the 55 and 65 inch versions but they will essentially be the same as the 49 inch model I believe. I can’t be sure of which model is better but as a general rule for LG 4K TVs which ARE NOT OLED 4K models, you’d probably be better off with a Sony, Samsung or even Panasonic model in the same price range. LG tends to do a poor job on contrast in their lower end TVs, so if this is important (and it usually is) you might not be the happiest buyer. However, LG’s WebOS 2.0 smart TV platform is excellent, possibly the best on the market right now so that’s a major benefit of their TVs.

Looking to buy a new 4K TV. Can you eloborate on whether I should go for a curved UHD TV from Samsung or the same sized SUHD TV? I am a bit confused what the curved TV buys you but it does look impressive in the store. Any thoughts on curved vs. flat I guess is what I am asking. I am looking at 55″ Samsung models in both categories and they are about the same price so I am curious your thoughts.

I’ll keep this answer pretty straightforward: Between the three, simply go for the Vizio of whichever size you prefer (65 inches is probably your beter choice). Vizio’s M-Series 4K TVs are indeed very good and especially so considering their great prices. The M-Series (in general, not just your specific models) deliver some remarkably good contrast (oddly better than that of the JS7000), great Black uniformity and some fine picture control features for motion suring fast action. They’re also very good at dealing with judder. Connectivity-wise, both TVs are about on par (JS7000 and M-Series) and the JS7000 definitely has the better smart TV platform in our experience but you’ll get about equal access to apps, web browsing and media from both so your deciding factor should be picture quality, and the Vizio M-Series delivers really well in this. (though we liked the older P-Series a bit more).

Upscaling in both TV brands is about equal but we can say that the Vizio does a great job for this extremely important spec.

Other than the screensize and pricepoints.. any suggestions.. from where i stand it looks like both are decent tvs with their own shortcomings.. any winner among these two in terms of picture quality / judder issues / brand dependability ?

Hi there VK, You said it very well yourself, both models are good but with some shortcomings given their position in the heirarchy of 4K TVs from each brand. However, I’d generally lean towards the Samsung more so. Their JU 4K TVs are generally very decent and sometimes downright great while almost none of LG’s non-OLED 4K TVs in our reviewing experience are exceptional. They’re not bad and their webOS 2.0 smart TV platform is absolutely excellent but between the two, we prefer the display quality of Samsung as a general rule.

Hello Matt, here are a couple of our previous posts which I can recommend. I you have any more specific questions or requirements, it would be easier to give a recommendation since I don’t know your budget or specific interests (sports, movies, gaming etc)

If price is not your concern and you have a larger budget than without a doubt I recommend one of LG’s OLED 4K TVs. The following are some excellent models and in almost very way (especially in visual terms) these are the best 4K UHD TVs being sold right now and their webOS 2.0 smart TV platform is absolutely excellent.

Also, if you don’t want an OLED 4K TV then the two best LCD/LED 4K models on sale today are in my view the Sony X940C and the Samsung SUHD JS9500. Here are their reviews: These are both exquisite 4K TV models with some incredible contrast, color, connectivity, upscaling and content access specs. Both also have excellent smart TV platforms, though I believe the Samsung’s is slightly better.

Both have an ISP panel which provides better angle viewing.I do need a tv with ISP because of my room set up.
I use my tv for sports,movies,and tv viewing.No gaming.
I see that you have recommended both tv’s.
Which tv would give me a better color and contrast?
Do you think one is of higher quality build?

I was just about to buy the UN60JS8000FXZA from Best Buy, when I saw a review that claimed Samsung doesn’t make 60 inch panels, and that this model uses another manufacturers panel and has washed out images compared to other size Samsung 4K TVs. Is there any truth to this?

Hi there Thesa. I definitely recommend Samsung among those three brands you’ve mentioned but a Sony model like the X810C would also make a great option due to its superb picture quality, contrast and excellent upscaling. Here is our review of the X810C.

Hello Guys. I have a question. For the last 9 year I had a chance to watch tv on 42 inch Panasonic plasma . Now it is time for change and I have no idea what to choose. The distance from my sofa to the tv set is about 4-4,5 meters. I had for tests Sony 55X8507E. When I was seating in front of it , it was brilliant. When I moved left or right the colors got gray, and the beauty was gone.
I read a lot about viewing angles and about VA and IPS panels. Most of the 2015 tv sets are with VA panels ,with poor viewing angles , there are only a few with IPS like Sumsung 55X6800 or Panasonic 55CX750 but not much info about the quailty.
I need a tv set to watch movies, sport. I would like 3D 4K 55 inch model.
Could you please help and recommend something.

Was wondering if I could get some advice on two different tvs im considering. the sony xbr65x900c and the Samsung un65js8500. I am wanting quality and am not a huge tech guy. Any advice would be appreciated regarding these models or others I should be considering.

Hello there Jonathan.. Quite honestly, with these two models alone you’ve got plenty of quality to choose from on your hands. While neither is the very best of each respective brand, both TVs are near the top of the line and each has plenty of quality to offer.

Both models come with HDR technology but as far as we recall, the quality of this feature is better in the X900C from Sony now that it has gotten its HDR update. However, the JS8500 also comes with some excellent contrast, so it won’t disappoint.

As for watching sports and other content with fast action, if this will be your main thing, I’d go for the Sony in this case, since Sony’s better TVs really master the technologies behind controlling motion blur and judder among other things. Also, for color gamut coverage, both TVs come with expanded color range: Sony’s with its phosphor-based Triluminos Display and Samsung with their Quantum Dot nanocrystal color. In this, we’d say that the Samsung delivers some slightly better results, though the quality of both is superb and so close that this is a bit debatable and some people might argue in favor of the Sony X900C’s color delivery being better.

As far as the absolutely crucial technology of upscaling non-4K content to look sharper goes (since most of what you watch on a 4K TV is still going to be HD or lower content), both TVs are more or less equally matched at delivering quality upscaling.

Finally, in terms of aesthetics, we think the X900C is the better looking TV and the main part of its screen is absolutely amazing in its thinness.

Overall, if you want to watch a lot of fast action and sports, go for the Sony, but for general movie and TV watching, both TVs are great and you’ll likely be happy with either, so price should be your main concern on which to buy. They’re very closely matched.

thanks for the advice. Is there still an issue with light bleed from the 900c and if so should it matter to me? Also, are there any other TV’s I should be looking at beyond these two? I would like to stay under 2500 but still get as much quality as possible.

Hello Jonathan. The light bleed issue may have been resolved by now. I don’t recall seeing much of this problem in the last X900C I saw. As for other TVs, there are quite a few solid choices that your budget permmits. Check out some of these recommendations:

Hey there Laurie. Giving you a precise figure for constant running lifespan on these TVs is a bit tricky, since hard data is a bit variable, each unit might have its own flaws and some TVs run better than others for a number of reasons. However, most LCD TVs like the one’s you’ve mentioned in your post are rated to last (assuming no unexpected internal electrical failures happen) for about 5 years until they lose about half their brightness if they run constantly. An OLED 4K TV like LG’s EG9600 (which was rated as the best TV of 2015 by a number of sources, including us) would probably last longer, maybe as many as long as 10 years before it loses half its brightness. Remember though, these lifespans assume no sudden electrical failures or mechanical damage from ambient weather (humidity, salt in the air if you’re close to a coastline, extremes of cold or heat etc)

I mention brightness because the main source of slow time-related degeneration in these TVs is their backlighting system. Other components usually offer better robustness. Also, bear in mind that after 5 or 6 years, you’ll probably want to replace the TVs anyhow since these technologies are advancing very, very quickly and some of the new TV models we can expect 5 years from now will be far ahead of what’s available today anyhow. Cheaper too in all likelihood

So, I appreciate there’s really no 4K/UHD content via my Comcast box or even (most) DVD’s via my Playstation DVD player. What cables do I need to use my laptop as a source; presumingIgo “in” to one of the 4K TV’s hdmi inputs. Any idea when Comcast may have 4K programing?
Merry holiday season!i
THANKS SO MUCH!!
Rik

Outstanding job with the website and all the reviews and replies. Keep up the good work.

Before my brain literally blows out in one of this electronic store’s floor or front of the monitor, I’d love to ask what 4K
UHD TV should I get with budget of 2-3 K US. I’m loosing my mind by reading all the expert & consumer reviews
all over the net.

So basically I’ve had a Philips 40inches with full surround Ambilight for the last 10yrs and it’s time to change.
Still OK but way too small. I’ve been back & fort between LG,SONY & Samsung for past few days.

In my opinion LG stands out, However not too friendly on the price tag. Yet again I’m between 55-65 inches. Which size do you recommend? I’d rather to buy a bigger size screen with quite reasonable price than smaller screen & higher price.although what do I know. That is why I’d really need your help.

I’d definitely will use smart features and online applications such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, online browsing, playing Mkv files, streaming via Apple TV, etc etc.

What do you recommend regarding my budget & personal preferences? 55 or 65 inches? Which Brand?
Should I get 55 LG 9600 or go with 65 Sony like 850C or Samsung- Curved or Straight Display. regardless of design & beauty of course.

what matters are Picture quality, user friendly and software platform.

Hey there Amir. I’ll be blunt and to the point. If you are willing to spend the money on it and don’t mind a 55 inch screen in place of a 65 inch LCD screen, then absolutely go for a TV in the LG OLED line. Sony’s, Samsung’s and Panasonic’s top-shelf and flagship 4K TVs are superb but their LCD/LED technology simply doesn’t compare to the quality of LG’s OLED 4K TVs in terms of purely excellent picture quality. The EG9600 was ranked by many professional reviewers (us included) as quite possibly the best 4K TV of 2015 and it remains superb. If you want an even better extra touch, go for one of LEG’s new OLED flat TVs like the 55EF9500, they’re also HDR-capable as a bonus!.

Both the EG9600 and the EF9500 55 inch models are selling for right within the upper edge of your price range (applicable taxes in your area excluded)

As a final bonus, LG’s OLED TVs come with the webOS 2.0 smart TV platform, which is arguably the best on the market for now.

On the other hand, you should probably stay away from LG’s non-OLED 4K TVs. They are almost consistently inferior in their display performance to many great Samsung, Sony or other brand’s TVs at the same or similar prices.

If however you do want 10 more inches of screen size instead of the exquisite quality of OLED, I’d recommend one of the top shelf SUHD curved Samsung TVs like the JS9000 or Sony’s X850C model.

Sony XBR-65X850C ,Sony XBR-55 X850C ,Samsung 65JS7000 or 65JS 8000 or giving up WCG the Sony 55 or 65X810C forget the other ones you listed altogether if you can budget these ,if not the Samsung JS 6500 is also worth considering .

Greater clarity, color and contrast with new powerful 4K processor X1 chip
Upscale to near 4K resolution, regardless of source with 4K X-Reality™ PRO
See more colours than before with TRILUMINOS™ Display

I watch it close up adjacent to the computer /office desk and ~ 9 ft back at night . I’m sold on 4K and 4K up scaling for *my view distances * especially at the desk. OTOH even at 9 ft 4K and 4K up scaling seems to add something IMO.

The 720p /1080i/ 18080p up scaling is outstanding it looks better than 720p and 1080i/1080p respectively and the STD def upscale is otherwise fine.

It has a 120Hz VA panel with an effective user adjustable Sony motion flow enhanced refresh rating of 960Hz .

If you set it to P3 DCI or bt 2020 color space (wide color gamut ) in Standard or Vivid and some of the other modes/ inputs that allow it and set the live color at medium and back off the color control to 35-45 it gives you a wider color space (more color) than the standard srgbt709 content .

With the above Sony maps what it thinks your regular 8 bit content would look like at 10 bit color (more colors and more vibrant. )and takes advantage of the Truluminous wide color gamut however the results can vary it’s a case by case thing but on bit starved CATV and Sat TV it helps .
it also looks good set to bt709 or auto.

Running a a Spectra Cal 2160p 10 bit color gradient test video file played from a USB drive into the embedded Sony X850C Video Player run time Android app shows it to have a 10 bit panel .

I don’t believe it’s an 8 bit + high frc to 10 bits overdrive panel the gradation is too perfectly smooth and indicative of a 10 bit panel .

All in all a good set for the $$ . IMO it compares favorably with the arguably very good and costlier Samsung JS8000 and being HDR + WCG ready it plays HDR 10 + WCG OK for the $$$ just not 800-1000 NIT’s bright.
It can otherwise put out a stunning picture with the right content and room light and it makes a good Blue Ray even better than my Samsung Plasma .

Hello Anil. Unfortunately, we haven’t reviewed this particular model quite yet so I can’t speak more firmly on its qualities or deficiencies. However, based on what we’ve seen of Hisense so far, we’d suggest a 4K TV from Sony, Samsung or Panasonic if you can find one of their models. Sharp makes some fine 4K TVs as well. All of these brands have put out some excellent affordable models with great visual performance, connectivity and smart TV features at reasonable prices. One I’d suggest in particular is the X810C from Sony. Low price for the 55 inch model and it’s a superb TV for that price. Not to deviate you from a Hisense but based on the 4K TV models we do know well, these are some recommendations from us.

Hi Stephen, when will the new models from CES2016 be on the market and fully evaluated (and incorporated in to your top 10’s)? I’m looking to buy a new 4k TV this year around 48-52 inches, but want to make sure I’m getting the latest and greatest. Thanks!

Hello Thom. We’re working on some large instructional content pieces but will have reviews of a number of these TVs and other gadgets up as soon as possible, within this month wherever possible in fact. Please check back soon for our recommendations. The Top 10 lists for TVs will also be updated accordingly as soon as we’ve evaluated the TVs which have emerged. thanks for your interest!

I’m interested in upgrading my aging 65″ Panasonic Plasma to a curved 78″ Samsung SUHD JS9500. I have a large collection of 3D movies and want the 3D option. I’ve been waiting for the new Samsung 4K ultra HD Blu-ray player which is available for pre-order. Is this player 3D capable, and are the glasses required active or passive? I want to purchase all components at the same time as well as upgrade my Logitech all in one remote to the newer Logitech Harmony Elite. When will the Blu-ray player be released? I have Direct TV and have been told the Samsung JS9500 includes a Direct TV box.

As for 3D capability, we haven’t yet reviewed this player and can’t quite yet speak for active or passive capacity but it does come with 3D playback technology and no it does not include glasses for 3D to our current knowledge. Again, we’ll review this player as soon as possible and post much richer specs, impressions and our rating of its abilities.

Hello there Howard. The Panasonic is undoubtedly a great TV, as are many of the company’s models, some of them as you say even better than comparable Samsung’s or Sony’s. The problem however is that they can be rather difficult to find in the U.S market sometimes, oddly enough.

It has literally driven me crazy. Trying to find one in a budget of around £800-£1000 (I’m in the U.K.) has been hard work and I think my wife is ready to leave me, lol.

The Samsung ue55js8500 is the one that ticks all the boxes and stands out, but that’s at a minimum of £1349,
the lowest costing tv I can find really is the Sony 55 X85C – perhaps the equivalent model for you is the Sony XBR 55X850C (not sure) but I heard the Sony 55 X85c is a bit slow as it’s only dual core. Would you help in this minefield, I have gone crazy looking for the ‘best buy’ tv.

Hello there Mark. To put it simply, i’d recommend the JS8500. Yes, it’s a bit pricier but overal, it will likely offer you greater value in the long run and also of course comes with HDR enabled. It’s also a great 4K TV for sports viewing, the Tizen smart platform in it is better than that of Sony’s 4K TVs (though we also do like Android TV) and finally, the JS8500 does indeed come with 3D and includes a pair of glasses.

You’ll spend a bit more here but you’ll be happier with this model in all likelihood.

Hello Andrew, thank you for the information (hard to find a guide to the differences btw the Samsung Tv series).
Im planning to buy today this tv: LED SMART TV 48 SAMSUNG 48JU6500
I’ll plan to keep it for long, long as in 10 years long. Smart choice? Im in Argentina, so understand that we pay double for this products (yep, tough), so this is the TV at the top of my limited choices.
Im about to click “Pay”! should I?

Hello Jeff. The P-Series has been discontinued by Vizio in favor of the M-Series as of recently. This is a shame because the TVs are great 4K models. On the other hand, they can still be bought both used and new on Amazon.com.

However if you’re dead set on a 2016 4K TV, Sony’s new XBRD 4K TVs and LG’s new models are all excellent bets, though i’d wait a bit longer to order any of them, let more information on quality come in.

I own 2 x 4K TVs, but both of them are in bedrooms and were purchased when 4K first came to market, which means I overpaid for them and now they don’t have many HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 ports. So, I’ve been holding off buying a new 4K TV, in the den as our “main TV,” until 4K evolved a little more. After reviewing LG’s 2015 OLED set, I’ve decided to go ahead and buy an LG 2016 G6 OLED TV, since I don’t see the quality going much further than this TV in the short term and this TV will be HDR capable and have plenty of compatible HDMI ports. Do you think it’s safe to move forward with a purchase like this? Do you think I’m future proofing myself with this set vs buying the Sony XBR 65″ 850A when it was first released? From what I’l seen for myself, I think it’s going to be a little more difficult and take a little more time than usual in a product’s life cycle before a newer technology comes out than really improves upon the OLED HDR sets. Would you agree?

Hello mrollins. I believe your logic is fundamentally correct. Yes, newer technologies for 4K TVs will emerge in the next year or two but now that many firm standards have been implemented across the board (something which was badly lacking in 2013 and early 2014 4K TVs from many brands) The vast majority of even newer TVs like the G6 OLED will still deliver all the essentials and some other spectacular technologies to boot. Let me put it this way for you: If you’re extremely happy with the display quality that you’ve seen in a TV like the G6, do you really think it will bother you when something possibly a bit better emerges in, say, a year? Especially if the G6 still lets you view all of the content that’s currently and soon to be available anyhow.

In even simpler terms, the G6 and other TVs like it for 2016 are much more standardized and much more future-proof than the first 2013 4K TVs were. Their quality might get beaten by still deeper refinements to display technology but they’ll likely continue to support all content for quite some time.

Would you recommend a Vizio refurbished 50″ P-Series TV with 4K, 240 refresh, UHD, 64 full array zones? They are available for around $650.00. I’m not convinced Vizio is high quality. Are the 6500 Series Samsung 4K sets edge lit or full array?

Hello Razz. First, the JU6500 series from Samsung is indeed edge-lit, however, as is common with Samsung’s 4K TVs, the LEDs are particularly bright so the TV still produces some very good picture quality and contrast. Also, their black uniformity is remarkably good.

As for your question about the Vizio P-Series, yes I’d recommend the TV if its available for the price you mention. The P-Series were great and are still considered to be superior to the M-Series by many users. However, since it’s refurbished, make sure the unit you get comes with a warranty.

It’s great to read all your reviews and analyses regarding 4k TVs. Now I am considering to buy a 60~65 inch 4k TV. With a 8~10 distance to couch, which size will be better for me? With a budget around $2,000, which model/models are recommended? Thanks a lot.

Hello Daniel, The TV that most comes to mind in terms of overall quality with your stated budget would have to be the Sony X850C. It’s the easiest to find on sale, the 65 inch model retails for pretty much exactly the price you mention and the specs of the X850C are generally superb, with HDR, excellent motion blur control, judder control, enhanced Triluminos color and a native 120Hz refresh rate. Another, even better option for only $500 more would be the Samsung SUHD JS8500, which is also an HDR television with fantastic specs, 120Hz native refresh and quantum dot color, along with great contrast and great overall display specs. Both TVs also offer awesome smart TV functionality and full access to a lot of 4K content.

Hello Rizwan. Yes there is one model that we’ve reviewed which comes to mind at the moment. It has extremely limited features in terms of smart TV and can basically be called an ordinary television but with 4K resolution. The Seiki SE55UY04.

I’d strongly recommend a smart TV for truly rich access to assorted 4K content from 4K sources and apps that appear on such interfaces but if you have particular needs for a non-smart TV 4K model, here is our review of the SE55UY04

Hello Ryan.. I don’t actually entirely trust some of the specs on the Samsung site itself. They have been wrong in the past and we’ve seen this on more than one occasion. As far as we know, the JU6500 is an edge-lit model, unless the Samsung site was referring to a larger model which may possibly have full array, though I don’t think so.

I’m concerned about LG’s 55uf6450. The panel used in this tv, uses RGBW pixel layout instead of RGB. According to some on the Net, the “W” limits the color resolution. When reviewed by consumers comparing the two, they were very hard-pressed to tell the difference. What’s your opinion?

I am looking at the Samsung UN65JS9500 or the LG65EG9500? Do either of these support HDR or DolbyVision?
Which is better of streaming 4K and upscaling 1080P? Which is better for mounting on a wall versus using with the stand?

Hi there David. The Samsung JS9500 is the flagship 4K TV of the 2015 SUHD line from Samsung and not only does it support HDR, it also supports it to a high enough standard that it’s one of the only if not the only 2015 Samsung HDR 4K TVs to meet the standards of the UHD Alliance’s “UHD Premium” standard for display quality. As for Dolby Vision. This particular and highly impressive display standard is not supported by the JS9500. For 2016 so far, we only know of a few TVs which support Dolby Vision. These are Vizio’s two premium Reference Series 4K TVs and LG’s 2016 OLED 4K model the G6. We also know that TCL is coming out with a premium TV with Dolby Vision.

As for the EG9500 you mention. This model doesn’t exist to our knowledge. Are you talking about the OLED EG9600 curved 4K TV or the flat screen EF9500 OLED 4K TV?

I’m suprised there are no reviews of the new, spankingly good 4K HDR range from Sony. They’ve JUST released the KD-XD (55,65 and 75″) range with HDR, I know, as I sold one (KD-55XD8599) Saturday last week. It’s running on Android still (a bonus in my opinion as it suits my OS needs as a smartphone and TV user), aesthetically it has a nice silver inlay in the very thin bezel around the panel. As a thought, Sony could have mirrored THAT little design feature in the remote as it would have tied both together very nicely, in between the fascia plate on the front and the full back battery cover.

Sony have dropped the second “magic” type remote with the mouse pad type scrolling and “speak to Google” microphone in it. They’ve instead now included a small microphone icon button in the centre at the top of the remote, press it and speak and this works very, very nicely and very, very easily when I tested it out. You can’t use it to change TV channels but searching on Google and YouTube is so easy with it now. Unfortunately with the button being in the centre at the top, it makes using it a little “unwieldy” and awkward to use at first, in my opinion it would have been better situated either directly above the central dial button layout, OR, top left of the dial about 10/11 o’clock on the centre of the remote. The remote itself is now finished in a “vulcanised” type rubber finish on the face of the remote, with nice “clicky” type buttons that are fairly flush to the surface of the remote, with a small raised lump as the area to be depressed for selection. The back of the remote is finished in a second “faux leather” type rubberised feel. If there weren’t arguments before about who has the remote control in the household, there WILL be now – it’s just so tactile and nice to hold. As I mentioned the battery plate on the back is now a full length affair rather than a small compartment cover, this just adds to the tactile feel of the remote better with an uninterrupted line.

Sony have added a nice feature to the stand with the XD”xx” range, it now has a hidden cable tidy affair with an easy clip on fascia plate. The stand comes in two halves, with the front half being the attached to the TV and the second or back half of the stand being the cable “hidy”.

All in all, a very very nice TV range from Sony with more models being added mid to back half of this year. I can’t wait to play with the new sets and see how they stack up against other leading manufacturers.

N.B – If you want a very nice video on YouTube to showcase your shiny new HDR capabilities, then search for a video called “Patagonia in 8K”, it’s absolutely mind blowing in detail and quality!

Hello Ben, you’re actually referencing the U.K model names of these TVs so it took me a bit to realize which TVs you were talking about. Yes we are actually right in the middle of reviews for the major Sony XBR-X900D series 2016 Bravia TVs and they should be up on the site by the weekend in fact.

Also, agreed, these are excellent televisions, better still than the great 2015 models.

Are there any other brands except for Samsung, Sony and LG? Why are there no mentions of Panasonic Tvs in your top 10? You rate a Vizio above a cx802? You rate a 7000 Samsung higher than a cx802. HDTVTEST said
“Looking further afield, if the CX802 is indeed the nominated spearhead of Panasonic’s 2015 Viera TV campaign (at least for the moment), then the TX-55CX802 will be going up against the Samsung UE55JS9000 (the South Korean manufacturer’s top-of-the-line JS9500 series is not available in 55 inches) and the recently reviewed Sony KD-55X9305C. The Panasonic comfortably delivered the most accurate colours, and its upscaling of HD and SD content was right up there with Samsung’s” yet you don’t rate it? This site is biased.

Hello Dave, we’re currently updating the TV page and Top TV listings quite heavily to reflect new models and their qualities as we’ve been reviewing them. We will be including more of the latest 4K HDR TV releases. However, as for the Panasonic models, part of the reason we mention them little lies in the fact that the company gears its televisions more towards the European market and the majority of our readership is North American. We try our best to cater to both sides of the Atlantic in our content but TVs tht are popular in the U.S or in both markets take precedence for the moment. However, we are planning on reviews of the Panasonic models and I myself consider their TVs to often be superb, based on past review experience with some of them.

Hello Steve. The SUHD TVs are Samsung’s premium models for both their 2015 and 2016 lineups of 4K UHD TVs. However, while they’re mostly superior to the UHD models for each year, two non-SUHD TVs in particular do stand out of the models we’ve reviewed so far: The JU7100 and the JU7500.

I’m not sure what you mean by HER? Did you mean HDR? If so, the most affordable HDR 4K TVs we can recommend are the Vizio P-Series models from 2016. They offer excellent color, contrast and high dynamic range specs, and the 50 inch model is selling for just $999 ($1000 basically, before taxes etc).

Hey there Kashef, We haven’t yet reviewed the Vizio 2016 D-Series 4K TVs but they will likely be similar to their 2015 cousins. That said, I’d strongly recommend alternative options like one of the 2016 M-Series 4K TVs, which are excellent for their highly affordable price or if you want to save money, go for a 2015 Samsung 4K TV like the JU7100, JU7500 or the JS7000 SUHD TV from last year. For Sony, the 2015 X810C is a great choice and so is the X850C. Both are now very affordable and still deliver great specs. We’ve reviewed all of these on the site and you can find the links to those reviews if you scroll down a bit to the right on the home page, under the “4K TV Reviews” section

you don’t know beans about rating 4k tv’s while searching for mine I found tons of new sony’s
sansung and visio’s listed as refurbished of course you know what that means ! Of course you
never mentioned panasonic 4k which I bought with all the bells and whistles you’d want.

For the past weeks I keep reading about 4k TVs and the trouble I have is to understand the differences between models when the price difference is 200-300 euros.
Also I am not so much into the technical details and more people I ask, more confusing it gets 🙂

I am currently looking at Samsung UE55JU6850 vs Samsung UE55JU6450.

My budget is 800 – 1000 Euro.

Can you please advice what I can get for this? Any of the two above are a good choice or could you suggest something else?
I am looking for a 4K, 55 inch, preferably Samsung.
Image quality is very important. I will mainly use the TV for watching movies

Hello there Ken. between the Vizio 2016 4K HDR TV and the Sony 2015 X940C HDR TV, it’s a bit of a tough choice but i’d still go for the Sony. It may be a bit older but this is one seriously robust 4K TV with superb HDR specs. It’s peak brightness is better than that of the Vizio model due to its full-array LED backlighting, it delivers considerably better color performance at 95% DCI P3 color spectrum coverage and the smart TV platform of the Sony model is a bit better than that of Vizio. Also, Sony’s 2015 4K TVs and the X940C in particular delivered some superb judder control, motion control and upscaling performance quality. Finally, there exists no better built-in 4K TV sound system than that of the Sony X930C and X940C TVs from last year. They blow all competitors out of the water on sheer rich sound quality.

Hello Philippe, I’d be happy to help you but could you tell me if you’re referring to the 2016 M-Series TV? Assuming that you are, then go for the M-Series model, for sure. It offers superior motion control specs, delivers superior local dimming and we think it’s black level and contrast are both better. Furthermore, we prefer the M-Series color quality even though it’s not a wide color gamut 4K TV. It’s HDR technology extends only to contrast quality. On the other hand, the LG model comes with webOS 3.0 and this is definitely the best smart TV platform we’ve seen so far, unless you’re going to run your TV’s smart features off a set-top box platform, in which case the native smart system of the TV is irrelevant for the most part.

Trying to decide whether it’s worth going for a 4k TV. Upgrading from a 9 year old 52″ Samsung. Viewing distance is 10 feet. Could either go with a 60″ or 65″. Use it for watching some cable TV, DVDs & some Blu-Ray & (mostly) Netflix. Not wanting to spend too much. I’m questioning whether 4k is worth it given the lack of content. Choices between 2016 Vizio D series in 4k or 1080p, or possibly paying a bit for M series.

My concern is that the 480p & 720p content will look very poor on a Vizio 4K TV & that it might better to get 1080p at this point with a view to upgrading in 3 or 4 years when then content is more readily available & the prices & 4K are likely lower & the quality higher.

Hi there Peter. If you had asked this question to me in 2014, I’d have said wait, especially if you’re going for a premium 4K TV. However the game has changed now and 4K TVs are not only fully mainstream but also much more standardized for future-proofing. This applies particularly to the 4K TVs of 2016 and even though newer models and newer cool technologies like still better HDR are going to emerge, what’s here now will be great for most content for at least a few years I believe.

That said, to answer your question, yes, go and get a 4K TV if you’re going to buy a new TV anyhow. The newest content technologies and offerings are being applied to 4K content and all the newest TV updates are also being applied mainly to 4K TVs. Furthermore, even though there is indeed still a shortage of native 4K content out there in comparison to the massive selection of Full HD entertainment, your TV will also display HD content better than almost any native HD TV could. Upscaling technology does improve the quality of HD video sources and other aspects of picture performance in most of the 4K TVs for 2016 make watching almost any content type on these TVs a more enjoyable experience than it would be on an HD TV.

If you’re tying not to spend too much, i’d strongly recommend you choose the M-Series TVs from 2016. They offer HDR, great color, excellent non-4K content upscaling (especially for HD content) and also deliver some great motion control quality. If you want to splurge a bit, an even better choice would be one of the excellent P-Series models, All are superb and come with the added benefit of wide color gamut for any HDR content you can get your hands on. However,you’ll be happy with the M-Series I believe and even the D-Series 2016 models are superb as far as budget 4K TVs go. They’re also very affordable.

Hello Mohammad, I would recommend the Sony TV more than the LG model. LG’s LCD 4K TVs are generally not the best among their competitors from the major brands and in this particular case, the Sony X850C offers a great picture quality, with rich blacks, good contrast and excellent color performance. It also handles motion blur and judder much better than the LG model you refer to, in my recollection.

I’m not sur if I understand your second question, about bugs. Or maybe I did.. If you’re referring to bucks, as in extra money spent, then yes, definitely, the Sony is worth spending a bit more on.

Hey there Sebastian. I have two main recommendations for you as far as HDR 4K TVs are concerned and under $1500. Your first and best option would be the Samsung KS8000 49 inch model or the 55 inch model. The first sells for $1,297 and the 55 incher for just a smidge under $1500. This is in essence the best 4K HDR TV you can get at the price you’re stating. The 2016 SUHD TVs are all superb and offer some of the brightest screens we’ve ever seen in a 4K TV to-date.

Your second option would be Vizio’s 50 inch P50-C1 2016 HDR 4K TV. It comes with Dolby Vision HDR, excellent display performance and some of the best contrast, color and motion handling specs of any 2016 LCD 4K TV.

Could you please help me in choosing an entry level 55inch 4K TV. I have bought LG 55UH6150 4 days ago but now thinking whether Samsung 55KU6290 is a better TV. I am planning to return the LG and get Samsung, but again confused. The sales guy told me that Samsung 6290 (anything which does not end in 00) is a holiday model and not a regular model. So it does not have the same quality. Please advise which is the better one and why. Thanks in advance

Hi there Kiran, the sales rep is essentially correct and while Samsung would argue that the quality of the 6290 is the same as that of the KU6300 “regular” model 4K TV, we wouldn’t be surprised if it disappoints in some way. The TV’s price is suspiciously lower for a model with what are at least apparently the same specs as the 6300.

That said, I’m not sure what your budget is but I would indeed recommend that among Samsnug’s more affordable TVs, you go for either the 55 inch KU6300 or the UN55KU7000. I’d recommend the KS8000 49 inch model more than either of these two larger TVs because it delivers far superior display performance but if you want to save money, the KU7000 and KU6300 are almost identical in their overall display performance. Another great option is Vizio’s 50 inch 2016 P-Series 4K TV. It offers full Dolby Vision HDR and costs about $999 or so, nearly the same as the 55 inch KU6300 but it offers much better display specs, full HDR and motion control technology.

Hey there Kris, for the price you mention, I have three main suggestions and have linked to our reviews of all three in each desription:

First,there is the Samsung KU7000. The 43 inch model retails for just under 800 and offers up decent color gamut, very good contrast and some decent motion processing specs (though its judder handling is terrible). It’s a good TV even if it lacks the more spectacular display features like Quantum dot color and full HDR of the 2016 SUHD TVs.

Next, I’d also suggest the 2015 Sony X810C. This is a 2015 4K TV without HDR or Sony’s Triluminos Color and wide color gamut enhancements but we like it a lot for several good reasons: First, it delivers excellent motion handling specs and nearly perfect judder control for 24p movie content on its native 120Hz panel. It’s upscaling engine is superb and the TV also delivers superb contrast, black uniformity and very decent peak brightness. For a highly affordable 4K TV in Sony’s 2015 budget lines, the X810C is remarkably good. I’d even recommend it more than the KU7000 from 2016.

Next, finally, the only “True” HDR 4K TV on this listing is the 2016 50 inch Vizio M-Series. The 50 inch model M50-D1 costs just over $800 at $849 and it offers Dolby Vision support, excellent motion control metrics and delivers some superb color quality as well (though not as good as the 2016 P-Series). This is the largest and possibly best 4K TV you can get for such a low price that fits your budget.

Great site with very comprehensive information. Thanks to you guys for all you do.
Quick question…I am a bit reserved about buying the Samsung KS8000 because of the single HDMI port on the tv. What, in your opinion, is the failure rate of a single HDMI port? If this port fails, the quick connect box will then be useless and so will the tv. Any input on this thought?
Thanks

In the market for a new 4K tv going from a Sanyo lc-52d64u. Which lighting took out have a 20×20 living room and can only accomadate a 65 inch at the most sit about 10 feet away any recommendations staying under 1500

Hello Edwin. The TV i’d most recommend at your budget might be a 2016 Vizio M-Series model. It offers some excellent display specs, superb motion control, great judder handling for movie content and is also a fin e 4K TV for console gaming or use as a PC display if that’s your kind of thing. Furthermore, it is compatible with Dolby Vision HDR standards. Additionally, and this is a benefit of Vizio TVs we particularly like, the M-Series model offers full-array LED backlighting for some great local dimming capacity. You won’t find that feature in any Samsung, Sony or LG 4K TV at the same price or size range. The M-Series retails for just under $1,500 in the 65 inch range.

I have been only considering a Samsung 43″ to 55″ JS/JU 7100 or 7500 because of ratings I’ve seen, the 3d capabilities and the price range I would like to be in; under $1000 although I can pay more. I will use the TV as a PC monitor on my desk about 3 feet from my face to play World of Warcraft and other MMO’s, watch internet TV (often from the couch as well), and do my work consisting of filling out applications, making marketing material, and doing research. I use a 40″ Samsung 720P now.

The 2016 models KU/KS don’t have 3d, but I don’t really need that; when was the last or first time I even saw a 3d movie? I’m thinking I want a curved TV because for gaming the far edges and corners will be closer to my eyes making it easier to play and also the immersion feeling. I’ve read the pros and cons content of curved but will I enjoy it more for playing games than a flat? Will a curved TV have any impact on working?

Can you recommend the best TV for my needs; gaming the most important and of course color, contrast, HDR, bang for the buck.

Can you please help me choose one of these 3 TV’s?
I’ve found them all at similar prices, but altough I read the reviews I could find, I still cannot tell which is the best one.
LG 60UF850V (I do not need the 3D function, I will probably not use it at all)
Samsung 60KU6070
Samsung 60KU6072 (not sure what this is, have not found info on it online, but it is about 50 USD cheaper than the 60KU6070)

Hi there Ioana, These model numbers don’t quite correspond to those we use in the North American market but generally, you’re probably better off with the Samsung KU6072, since I assume it’s the same as the KU6300 or KU6500. LG’s UF-Series 4K LCD TVs are not really great performers and their black levels and contrast are particularly bad. We definitely recommend the Samsung models above more than the LGs.

Can you suggest a couple of 50 to 55 inch 4K TVs to be use as a PC Monitor that have very low input lag for gaming and have a very good picture as well please? If 1080p is better I’d like to know that as well. I’d like to spend under $1500. I also need some advice on a 32″ for my son’s PC monitor with very low input lag as well. My budget for the 32″ is about $300.
I’d appreciate any advice you have.

Hello Roshan, since wev’e never reviewed this model, we can’t really comment on its specs or qualities and capabilities. However, I would generally say that unless Panasonic has released a firmware update for VP9 which is compatible with this model, no you can’t install the codec on your own. compatibility with either VP9 or HEVC is decided by the manufacturer of the TV, not users.

Hi Kevin… I recommend you go for the KU6300 and the most essential reason why is that it is a much better performer on contrast and black delivery. The LG TV offers very, very slightly better color performance in our view but the difference is so small that the contrast/black level issue is much more important a factor, and in this the KU6300 beats the LG hands down. In terms of motion control specs, we also consider the Samsung model to be a bit better. As we’ve said frequently before on this site, LG’s non-OLED TVs tend to not be that great and so far the only two models we’ve reviewed in their 4K LCD lineup which were genuinely good TVs are the UH8500 and UH9500 HDR models.

Planning to buy either a budget top-quality FHD or normal 4K TV. I generally prefer SONY and hence shortlisted Sony W95D (FHD) and the budget 4k model SONY X8300D. There is absolutely no channels that air 4K content in my country and HD channels are just gathering the market slowly. So, I’d love to know your reviews on whether it is worth buying the lower end 4K TV or buy the FHD TV? Most of the channels we watch here are normal (SD) clarity. So, will the upsacling be a factor? Is it good buying a lower end 4K TV just because it is cheaper? I heard lower 4K models won’t be having the genuine processing power as higher 4K models.
Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks

Hey there Vinay. I’d say that yes it is still a good idea to buy a 4K TV and if you can afford it, buy a mid-range or higher model with HDR of some kind and more cutting-edge specs in general. There will of course be new 4K TVs next year with even “cooler” specs but you certainly don’t have to replace your TV any time some new technology pops onto the market if you’re happy with what you’ve bought. Thus as a general rule, if you’re going to spend the money on a new television, buy the model you can most afford but with as much of the best technology as is reachable by your budget. This will give the TV you do decide upon the longest future-proofing possible and that should be fine for a few years at least.

That said, I haven’t reviewed either of the two brands you mentioned (unless the X8300D is the same as the X800D in North America) but all things bout Sony’s 2016 TVs considered, go for the 4K model for the reasons I shared above. It’s likely to be at least quite good since every 2016 Sony TV we’ve covered so far has shown itself to be either a solid performer (the X800D, X750D, X850D) or downright excellent (the X930D and X940D).

Greetings ! I am moving to a new house and I’m looking for a good reliable 4k tv that’s around 1000 USD or less. I’m currently trying to decide between these 2 models:

65UH5500 LG and UN60KU630D Samsung

Between these 2, they are the same price where I’m shopping.
The LG reviews on other sites seem very good but I can’t find any reviews on the Samsung.
I assume it’s related to the KU6300 series but I’ve read that they don’t have HDR and I thin the LG does (HDR Pro).

In your opinion, what is the better of the 2? I would rather have the 65 inch screen but I want to have the best technology as well and the LG has been out for over a year now.

Now, moving onto your other question. We haven’t reviewed the UH5500 but quite frankly we don’t like many of the display specs on LG’s lower end LCD 4K TVs. This has been something we’ve noted in the 2014 models, 2015 models and also many of the 2016 models. In fact, as we recently covered here, the 2016 UH6100, UH6400 and UF6800 TVs offer particularly bad display performance due to their lower quality RGBW panels. Thus, if the UH5500 you mention follows the same trend (it probably does) it is not likely to outperform the KU6300 even if LG is claiming HDR Pro specs for it. The KU6300 isn’t exactly the best of Samsung’s 4K TVs but it offers great black performance, very decent color quality and some solid peak brightness. Most importantly it’s guaranteed to outperform the LG TV on contrast and black level (LG’s weakest specs in their LCD TVs)

Hi, I’m looking to purchase 2 tvs and was hoping to get a little insight. I’d like to get a 55″-60″ for my living room and a 65″ or larger for my basement. There are dimming lights in the basement with little natural light and a lot of natural light in the living room. I would like to stay under $3K for both. Which series would you recommend.

This article has been very helpful in trying to narrow it down. Thanks for that!

I am trying to decide between two TV’s for my living room. I watch a lot of sports and am concerned with motion.
I can get the
Sony XBR-65X850D for $1,600
Vizio M65-d0 for $1,190

Is it worth $400 to get the Sony? The local stores keep pushing it and it makes me think their is a incentive for them. I am going from a 8 year old 40″ tv so anything will be a huge upgrade. price and features have me leaning towards the Vizio

Great source for 4k TV selection! I am looking for a mid-budget 4k smart tivi with the size 49″ or 50″ and budget around 1000$. My preference is high quality image, HDR, and game control console connection. Sony and Samsung are in my mind. Could you please suggest some best choice in these ranges? Thanks in advance!

Hello!
I’m looking for the most budget-friendly HDR10 49-50″ TV. Have been to a local dealer and was offered a few options: LG 49UH8507, Samsung UE49KS7002. LG said they have a better 2.2 sound. Samsung boasted better colors, processor. I was also looking into UH7700(how much difference does a 2.2 sound really make?), KS8000. The prices are comparable and I’m a bit lost. I’m in Europe, so Vizio is out of the question. Should I consider any other manufacturers? Sony’s are a bit too pricey… Thanks for any advice.

Hello David, we try to balance quality with affordability in our 4K TV rankings and we also do consider the OLED models to be generally superior to even the Z9D (except in their max brightness). That said, the TV is definitely one of the very best and the best LCD model we’ve yet seen. We may include it soon now that it’s price has dropped a bit.

After much research I’ve narrowed my choice of entry level 4k tv to the Sony xb850D at 55″ and the Vizio M60-D1 at 60″. I’ve seen the Sony in stores and like the picture quality, but have not seen any Vizio M or P series (only E and D models.) While the price point for the two is about the same, I love the idea of getting 5″ extra screen size for the same amount of money. This tv is for the living room and will be used mostly for cable tv and movie streaming. The room is bright during the day. I’ve left out the Samsung options as I have had terrible luck with their products. Your thoughts?

I am looking at 65 inch Sony X750D vs Lg 60 inch UH7700. From the review I have seen the LG seems slightly better? These are both the same price. The 65 in h LG is $300 more so that is out. Price being equal what would you recommend? Larger Sony or possibly slightly better LG? I view in the living room, not overly bright or dark. I sit about 10-15 feet away and some
Seats have about a 30 degree viewing angle. Thanks!

Hi there Bill. The two TVs are pretty closely matched and both offer IPS display for wide viewing angles, so the 30 degree angle won’t be a problem for you. However, the UH7700 is the slighlty better overall performer in our view and it also alredy comes with Dolby Vision HDR support, which I consider to be bonus.

I just bought the c series LG OLED. I had an option to buy the xbr950b for an amazing price considering the original cost. something about the motion really bothers me and i’m considering returning it and taking the deal on the sony. What advice do you have?

Hello there Stephen. Personally, i’d stick with the OLED TV without an doubt. The XBR-B-Series Sony TV had somme truly stunning built-in speakers but this is nothing a decent soundbar couldn’t fix in any 4K TV and the C6 speakers aren’t half bad anyhow. However where the C6 is miles ahead of the Sony TV you mention is in the sheer quality of its display specs and HDR support. The Sony X950B offers none of these as an older 4K TV and thus your OLED model is far more future-proof for new generations of HDR content. As for the motion being slightly off. Have you played with the C6 TV’s picture settings a bit to see if you can reduce the effect? OLED TVs by nature have virtually no motion blur, so specifically what is the motion issue you’re experiencing?

When will the review of the 2017 Vizio E series be in? I am in the market for a 4K HDR TV with a budget of around $600-800. The m series in on sale but is last years model. Do you have any suggestions on what to get? Would like it for streaming content and gaming (project Scorpio).

Hey there Tony. We’re just about to publish several new 4K TV reviews and the 2017 E-Series is in the process of being reviewed. So far I can tell you that it’s looking pretty good as a budget 4K TV so far and would make a decent gaming model for consoles. What’s the display size you’re aiming to buy? I can possibly suggest some other models. Also, for gaming, any of Samsung’s 2016 KU-Series 4K HDR TVs are excellent choices. they all offer low input lags, great display specs even when compared to most 2017 4K TVs we’ve seen so far and all of the 2016 Samsung KU-Series TVs offer wide color gamut, 10-bit color and excellent black levels/contrast. I recommend them highly and their prices are roughly within your range for the 49 to 55 inch models.

I was looking at 55″ displays but would go to 60″ if price allowed. I know that many 2017 models are being released soon so I was wondering if I should wait or buy an on sale model from last year. Any suggestions you would have would be much appreciated as I have only researchs vizios so far, as long as it has HDR I would love to have 2-3 suggestions from you other than the e series. When will the review for the vizio be out? I am unsure when they will be available to buy as well.

Great review! What would you recommend for a 55inch 4K tv around 1500$USD (2000CAD$) ? It’s for sports, movies and a little bit of gaming but the main use remains ports and movies. I don’t like the soap opera effect. If I could switch it on and off that’d be great.

I will probably buy it at Bestbuy or Costco. I like Sony picture quality and I’m not sure about Samsung. I wish I had the money for a LG OLED. Any way, thanks for the help!

Hi there Tom, feel free to contact me via the 4K.com website address for me: stephan at 4k.com. My Google plus profile is also linked to via my name in the date header of each blog post and news piece. Thanks.

Hi there Dan, that’s correct, the X800D 49 inch model comes with an IPS panel instead of the VA panel of the other model. This means much better viewing angles but on the other hand it also means much poorer contrast (up to 4 or 5 times worse) and faded black levels since this TV doesn’t have local dimming. We generally recommend VA panel TV models over IPS versions because deep blacks and high contrast heavily improve picture quality in general.

Will a HDR10 only TV (say Sony X900E) play a ‘Dolby Vision’ video without downsizing it to non-HDR format? I understand Dolby Vision encodes more metadata. Does the TV (or a TV box like Apple TV) have the capability of pulling out ‘HDR10 related information’ from the Dolby Vision Video and display it on the HDR10 TV?

Hi there Praveen, no actually. HDR10 signals can be decoded and played back by Dolby Vision 4K TVs just fine but a purely HDR10 4K TV cannot even decode the Dolby Vision mastering in content that has it. Thus, it just plays the movie or show or whatever in normal SDR format. However, and this is crucial, most content makers also include HDR10 mastering in whatever Dolby Vision content they create, so when this type of video hits an HDR10-only TV, the television takes its HDR10 aspect and gives you that. I hope this cleared things up.

I just celebrated 30 years at my company and they’ve offered me a choice of catalog gifts. There were two TVs available, a Samsung 58″ Black UHD 4K HDR LED Smart HDTV (#UN58MU6070FXZA) and a Sony 60″ BRAVIA Ultra HD 4K LED HDR Smart HDTV (#KD-60X690E). I assume both are 2017 models, not that I’m complaining. Which do you recommend I take?

Hello George, both of those are 2017 TVs yes but between them, I’d suggest the Samsung model. it’s not a premium TV by any means but it does offer excellent black levels, color performance and at least some HDR support. The Sony lacks the HDR aspect and for this reason i’d give it a lower ranking.

Before you buy any TV any size, please try to do your homework and a bit of research will save you lots of Money in the long run. Personally I highly recommend for everyone to take a close look at Ridaex TV Because .This one is the best LED TV if you don’t want to exceed your budget. Having a massive screen, awesome performance, excellent wireless connectivity and ease of setup, it’s like a dream. However, it doesn’t lag and looks amazing

Hello there, I’d go for the Samsung KU6000. we’ve reviewed this particular TV in detail and it’s a great model overall. The picture quality lacks high level HDR but the KU6000 does deliver some great general performance for movies, TV shows and particularly for gaming. I happen to have one and it’s always served me well for going on 2 years now.

SAMSUNG 43″ Class 4K(2160P) Ultra HD Smart LED TV UN43NU7100FXZA (2018 model) I just purchased model tv and was told it was 4K but in reading your comments it states that UHD and 4K are somewhat different. Is the set a good one?

Hey there John, 4K and UHD are labels for the exact same resolution in 4K TVs. So if yours is a 4K model, then it’s also a UHD model and vice versa. This definitely applies for the NU7100, which is a generally decent TV. (we’re in the process of reviewing it right now).

Sir Stephen, my greetings,, its so much mind boggling to go through so many TVS brands n models and still u don’t see the perfect led 4K TV yet inspite of the technology being so highly advanced.
I really wonder wht are these companies upto, they lack so much in just producing a perfect TVS ..

Actually i want 43-50inches 4K TV, with all balanced picture quality,like perfect color gamut, contrast , perfect black, grey and White balance, no or minnimal reflections, local dimming as I don’t want to see any hallo or trail in scenes, no judder, no jitter in fast moving scenes, perfect picture in all conditions like in bright, dim and dark room and other standard features with no cons but only pros ..
should be overall perfect for watching movies, HDR movies, TV shows, sports, HDR gaming etc:
can u recommend if there any such balanced 4K TV produced recently ?

Hello Amit. What youre asking for in terms of perfection doesn’t really exist. Most of today’s newer 4K TVs are as close to perfect as we’ve ever seen them when it comes to picture quality but the very best ones especially so. The problem is that none of those are available in the size range you’re requesting since most TV makers start their really high-end models at 55 inches. So, if it’s a 55 inch TV that you’re willing to spend on which delivers as many of the qualities you want as closely as possible, i’d suggest the following models, click the links for our reviews of them. These are the best 2018 TVs we can recommend in terms of offering excellent brightness, motion handling, viewability in any normal conditions and color quality, and at the best price:

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